21 Days of Somalia
by Emtheunicorn
Summary: Things were going great for fourteen year old Lucas. He was about to graduate high school and start university but first he had an entire month to spend with his parents in Somalia. But what was supposed to be a time for Lucas to spend with his family soon turns into a nightmare when disaster strikes. How will Lucas handle being captured and tortured?
1. Prologue

So this is my new little project for August. The plan is to update every single day for 3 weeks. I can't promise that the updates will be any good but I will attempt to stick to my schedule. This story is set during Lucas's time in Somalia. It will mainly be about Lucas, Ayani and Taylor but I might throw a few other familiar characters in. **  
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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Terra Nova or any of the characters.

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**Prologue**

Ten year old Lucas Taylor stood outside the dormitories of the prestigious boarding school that he was due to attend. His brilliant mind and hard work had allowed him to accelerate his education, moving through the grades quickly, ensuring that he was ahead for his age and starting high school before the others his age.

Lucas looked up at the tall imposing building, instinctively tightening his grip on his mother's hand. He felt his father place a soothing hand on his shoulder and felt some of the nerves that currently plagued him fade away. Both Nathaniel and Ayani Taylor were proud of their son. As parents all they wanted was for their son to be happy, but they were thrilled that his intelligence was opening up doors for him. The boy had a bright future. While Ayani was happy for her son to pursue any career of his choice Commander Taylor was eager for his son to follow in his footsteps and join the military. However, Lucas had a passion for science and was eager to pursue a career in that field. Not that Lucas's future career was of the upmost importance though, he was only ten after all, there was plenty of time for all that.

Little Lucas glanced up at his mother, his eyes showing his anxiety. Ayani squeezed his hand, reassuring him as she gazed lovingly down at him. Lucas turned to look at his father who nodded at him with a smile, standing up straight in a military stance. Lucas straightened in response, squaring his shoulders and mimicking his father's posture, hoping that his actions would help him appear confident and like a younger version of his father, as if that alone could help him on this new journey.

With newfound confidence Lucas took a step forward alongside his parents, his right hand still grasping his mother's hand and his father's hand still on his shoulder, and together the Taylor family made their way into the building that would be Lucas' home for the next four years.

After an hour or so of tours of the school and meetings with teachers it was time for Ayani and Taylor to leave Lucas. They stood in the room that was to be Lucas's bedroom. Lucas's suitcases sat on the floor of his half of the shared room, ready to be unpacked to make the room more homely. The excitement of this new adventure was pushed to the side as in the wake of a goodbye and suddenly everything seemed more real.

Lucas turned towards his mother, willing himself to not cry. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, holding her close, remembering this feeling, knowing that he wouldn't be seeing his parents for a while. Ayani's hand came to rest on Lucas's head, knowing that she had to stay strong for her son. While she was going to miss her son while he was away, she knew that this was a great opportunity for him. He would get a much better education here than he would at the military base.

"I love you, sweetheart," she whispered which was followed by Lucas's reply of "I love you too."

While the goodbye between mother and son was something that neither wanted to end, it was soon time for them to part so that father and son could say their goodbyes before parting ways. Taylor brought Lucas into his arms for a hug. While it wasn't nearly as emotional as the hug that Lucas and Ayani had shared, it was special in their own way.

"You make me proud son," Taylor reminded before pulling away to look at his son.

"I will, dad," Lucas replied seriously. If there was one thing that Lucas took seriously it was promises that he and his father made. Lucas would make his father proud; he would make sure of it.

Soon it was time for Ayani and her husband to leave. Lucas watched as they left the room with promises to call and visit soon. While he was sad to see his parents leave he was excited to begin this next adventure. One thing was for sure, he would make his parents proud, both of them.


	2. Chapter 1

So here is chapter one. I am currently working on chapter two so that I can have it posted tomorrow but it isn't cooperating with me. I've decided that this story is going to be a bit of a challenge for me just to see if I can get a chapter posted every day so expect some shocking chapters when I suffer from writers block.

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**Chapter One**

**1 August 2138**

Fourteen year old Lucas sat at his desk, cursing the boys that he shared a floor with as they thundered down the hall, excited about the holidays that started that day for Lucas and his classmates. While the older boys were outside, saying goodbye to each other and talking loudly of their holiday plans, Lucas was inside studying.

While Lucas had holiday plans too, he was going to the Military base in Somalia that his parents currently called home, he didn't feel the need to run around the halls, announcing his plans to the entire dorm, or the entire campus as some of the louder boys appeared to be trying to do based on the volume at which they shouted. This year Lucas had mercifully been given a private room for his final year of studies at school, a fact that he was glad of as it allowed him the privacy that he needed to study. Yet it didn't do much to help him in times like this when his classmates seemed determined to make as much of a racket as possible.

Lucas ran a hand through his scruffy hair before moving to push his sleeves up his arms, frustrated by the way that the cuffs constricted his wrists. Yet those actions alone were not enough to shut out the noise of his fellow students. Lucas was studying, as usual, or at least attempting to study. Actually retaining any information was proving to be nearly impossible thanks to the noise outside his room.

Since it was Lucas' final year of school he was thinking about college and ensuring that he got the marks he needed. Lucas had already completed his final exams and all of his classes but the year wasn't technically over. While he planned to spend his holidays studying for college he was still eager to leave school, he was excited to see his parents. Lucas already had his eye on several universities and several had their eye on him, being the bright young boy that he was. One university in particular that had caught Lucas's interest was the Phoenix University that was researching the time fracture that had been discovered.

Time fascinated Lucas. He was eager to study and work on this time fracture. But he was getting a little ahead of himself; he still had to get accepted first, though it was looking promising. Lucas had received a letter from the Phoenix University, notifying him that he was one of ten people shortlisted for a scholarship that would allow him to study the time fracture. It was a huge honour; Lucas was going to do what it took to ensure that he had the best chance possible of getting into this university.

So far his grades had been flawless, he was in the perfect position to be accepted into any university he desired; however, that didn't mean he was going to rest now. He still had plenty of things that he wanted to learn before he went off to college. To Lucas, his mind was like a sponge and he wanted to soak in all the information that he could.

A knock on the door brought Lucas out of his thoughts, causing him to look up to see the door opening and his mother entering the room. Lucas jumped up immediately, running into her arms and being enveloped in a hug. He let his head rest against her shoulder as he held her tight, breathing in her floral scent.

While Lucas was glad of the academic opportunities that came from going to such a prestigious school, there were downsides to it. He missed his parents dearly when he was away. Ayani would frequently come to visit him on weekends, sometimes bringing her husband with her when he was on leave, yet it wasn't the same. Lucas was eager to spend the next few months with his parents before he went off to college. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and that was definitely true for Lucas. While most kids his age were at the stage here they were eager to distance themselves from their parents Lucas was the complete opposite. He made the most of whatever time he could spend with his parents and loved every second of it.

"Dad couldn't make it?" Lucas guessed as he glanced at the empty space behind his mother.

"He wanted to be here," replied Ayani softly. Lucas nodded in response, understanding why his father was unable to be there, but that didn't stop the disappointment that pooled into his stomach. It was somewhat of a tradition for both of Lucas's parents to pick him up yet sometimes, lately more often than not, that tradition was pushed to the side because of the demands of Taylor's military career. Yet Ayani never failed to show up. She was always there to drop Lucas off and pick him up. Lucas had just hoped that with this being his final time leaving school that his father might have turned up.

"Are you ready to go?" Ayani asked as she released her son from her arms. Lucas glanced around his former room for the last time, taking it all in before nodding.

He grabbed one of his suitcases and Ayani grabbed the other. Then together they made their way out of Lucas' bedroom. It was a strange feeling for Lucas. He was eager to finish school and put it behind him, what kid wasn't? Yet at the same time he couldn't help feeling as thought he was saying goodbye to something that he wasn't quite ready to let go of. But he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. After all, he would be returning for graduation in a month, this wasn't the end.

As Lucas walked through the halls he felt as though he was beginning a new chapter of his life. He felt like something major was going to happen, like there was going to be a big change in his life, and he was right, he was about to graduate high school and begin university. It was a pretty big event.

Ayani and Lucas both reached for their rebreathers and the neared the main doors of the school, holding them ready for when they would need them. While the school itself was inside a dome, being the fancy private school that it was, Lucas and Ayani had to exit the dome to get to the airport. After a short walk through the streets in the dome, they reached the entrance. Then after going past the security that monitored the entrance to the dome they were outside. They both hurried across the short distance between the dome and the waiting taxi, neither of them wishing to spend any more time than was necessary in the grey smog that seemed to pass as air these days.

Once they were safely in the cab, Ayani gave the driver directions to the motel that they would be staying at until their plane left the following day before turning to Lucas.

"So, sweetheart. How has school been?"

At Ayani's prompt Lucas launched into a detailed description of everything that had happened in his last semester of school from his final exams to the many awards that he had received for academic excellence. While that was a conversation that could have lasted many hours or even days, after an hour or so they reached their destination and Lucas was forced to stop his analysis of how the answer to question 4B in his physics exams was A, although many felling into the trap of choosing D, a highly probably yet wrong answer. But not Lucas, if there was one thing he prided himself on it was being able to outsmart his teachers and not fall for the trick questions that they so often placed in exams.

After paying the taxi driver, Lucas and Ayani donned their rebreathers and exited the vehicle, making their way to the reception desk of the hotel. The hotel wasn't too shabby, it wasn't like the five star accommodation that could be found in some of the domes, but it was good enough. It had a working air filter which many people in the year 2138 had learnt to not take for granted.

Their room was nice enough; it was only for one night after all. Lucas placed his suitcases down on the smaller bed that sat closest to the door while Ayani brought her travel bag over to the double bed that stood across the other side of the small room.

Lucas jumped onto the bed and grabbed the remote that sat next to the bed, turning on the television that was situated on the dresser in front of him. Meanwhile, Ayani left Lucas to go to clean up in the small bathroom across the room, eager to get rid of the residue from the pollution that came from going outside. Lucas channel surfed for a while but it was all the same stuff that always played on the television; news, current affairs, war, violence, death, politics, ads, the latest reason that earth 'was going to end' and the occasional rerun of an old cartoon. After a few minutes of flicking through channels, Lucas turned the television off and picked up with his plex, deciding that there were better ways that his time could be spent.

He was halfway through chapter six of _The Complexities of Time _when Ayani emerged from the bathroom, fresh, clean and suggesting that they order room service for dinner. Lucas agreed eagerly and set his plex down before looking at the menu that the motel had provided and deciding on what he would eat that evening.

While they waited for the food to arrive, Ayani and Lucas continued their earlier conversation. Ayani was eager to hear all about her son's time at school and Lucas was eager to tell her all about it. He missed the day to day conversations with his parents that most other kids took for granted. He had a lot to tell her.

It wasn't too long before their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of room service.

"Don't they feed you at that school?" Ayani question for what would have had to be the hundredth time in the last four years as Lucas dug into his food.

"I'm a growing boy," Lucas replied cheekily with his mouth full of chicken. Ayani had to laugh, ignoring her son's lack of manners in the joy of having him home from school.

Soon after there were two empty plates and two full Taylors sitting back in their beds, both reading on their plexes.

"Did you know that they're thinking about sending people through the time fracture?" Lucas piped up.

"Really?" Ayani questioned, putting down her plex and turning her full attention to Lucas. "And do you think that they will?"

While Ayani was no stranger to science and scientific concepts the time when her scientific knowledge outweighed Lucas had long since passed. He was the scientific expert of the family, particularly in relation to physics. He was becoming, if he wasn't already, a bit of a physics expert. Ayani knew that it wouldn't be long before Lucas's scientific opinion would hold as much weight around the other top scientists as it did in the Taylor family. Lucas was gifted, a genius in fact, and Ayani knew that it wouldn't be long before her son was sharing his opinions with the other great scientific minds.

"Well a lot of people are saying that it won't be possible to control human travel through time as the time fracture isn't anchored, but I think that if you anchored one end with a terminus and eventually the other end as well, then human travel would be possible. Eventually you could probably even make the time fracture go both ways so that you could travel back and forth if you wanted to," Lucas explained, having given this matter some considerable thought. After all, it was his dream to spend his life studying this phenomenon. "I've done some basic equations and I definitely think that it's possible."

"Will you show me?" asked Ayani as she patted the bed next to her in an inviting gesture. Lucas jumped up and walked over to sit next to his mother, being welcomed by her open arm as he cuddled into her side and brought the equations up on his plex, explaining each equation as he did so.

"Now of course these aren't exact since I don't have access to the fracture but they do give a general idea and they can be modified once I get more data on the fracture," Lucas rambled as his mother watched him, a smile on her face, enjoying seeing her son talking with such passion about a subject that he had obviously put a lot of effort into researching.

After continuing on with his lecture on the time fracture for an hour or so, tiredness overcame Lucas and yawns were heart more often than words until he fell asleep mid sentence, much too exhausted after his long day. Ayani carefully pulled the plex out of Lucas's hand, putting it on the bedside table, being careful to not jostle her sleeping son who was resting on her shoulder.

She smiled down at Lucas, gently brushing his hair off his face in an affectionate gesture before placing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Ayani reached over to switch of the bedside lamp before settling down next to her son, eager for a good night's rest. After all, tomorrow was going to be a big day.


	3. Chapter 2

****Okay I have three minutes left to post this or I will fail my challenge so I will be quick. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favourited and alerted. Remember how I said that some of these chapters will be awful due to writer's block? This was one of those. I really struggled to get this written but in the end I did it. I'm pretty proud of myself for that even if I'm not proud of the actual chapter. Hopefully I will have better luck tomorrow. I have come to the conclusion that this story is going to be very raw because I won't have the time to spend ages editing it and perfecting it. Anyway I'm running out of time it's nearly midnight. Enjoy and I will be back tomorrow with another chapter.

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**Chapter Two**

**2 August 2138**

The following morning Lucas woke up late after a long and much needed sleep in. After eating a quick breakfast he and Ayani dressed and packed up their belongings before leaving the hotel, putting on their rebreathers before making their way along the darkened streets towards the bus stop.

As they walked Lucas looked around at the world he lived in. It was truly upsetting what it had come to. Lucas had heard stories and seen videos of a time before the world had started majorly deteriorating, of a time before rebreathers were a necessity, back when the sky could still be seen and pollution didn't fill the air and it was completely different to this. Lucas lived in a dying world and everyone knew it. It tended to put a bit of a permanent dampener on the earth, as though the entire world was in a permanent depression.

The bus was small and cramped, like all public transport in the year 2138. Lucas could hear the other passengers coughing, not everyone was fortunate enough to have a working rebreather. It felt as if the entire bus was diseased. No, it felt as though the entire world was diseased and it infected anything that it came in touch with. Fortunately for Lucas and Ayani the bus journey to the airport was short and they were soon spared the pain of sitting in a squashed bus. Soon Ayani and Lucas were making their way through the airport, performing all the necessary check ins and waiting patiently to board the plane

To say Lucas was excited was a bit of an understatement, he was very excited to see his father. From the day that Lucas was born he had always loved and worshipped his father. To Lucas it always seemed as though his father was some sort of godlike figure. It seemed as though he could solve every problem no matter how big or small. It seemed as though every time Lucas needed him his father would appear. Although lately it seemed as if he was away more often than he was around. Lucas didn't get to see his parents very often, it was something that he had come to accept since starting boarding school, yet lately he had seen less and less of his father.

"Will dad be there to pick us up at the airport?" Lucas piped up, turning to look at Ayani, excitement evident on his face. Ayani smiled at her son, enjoying seeing him smiling.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she replied, watching as Lucas' face fell. "I don't know if he can make it. He's very busy." Lucas nodded, looking down at his feet to try to hide his disappointment, yet it didn't go unnoticed.

"He said he'll try," Ayani continued, trying to cheer her son up. "You'll still get to spend an entire month with him."

"Yeah," Lucas answered in a not-entirely-convincing way.

Ever since Taylor had received his recent promotion to Commander he had been busier than ever and had had less and less time to spend with Lucas. Lucas understood; he knew that his father's job was important. He was mature enough to understand that but it still hurt. He missed his dad and wished that they could spend more time together. It was a wish that both father and son shared however work and school made it rather difficult.

"He loves you," Ayani spoke, wanting to get rid of the dejected look that Lucas sported. "He always has and always will." Lucas nodded as he listened to his mother say the things that he heard so little. While Taylor did love his son, he didn't often express that sentiment in words, unlike Ayani who was very open and outgoing with her love for Lucas. "And I love you as well."

"I love you too," Lucas responded, wrapping one of his arms around Ayani, not caring that it was considered 'uncool' for a boy of his age to be expressing his love for his mother in such a way.

It wasn't too long before it was time for Lucas and Ayani to board the plane. Soon they were sitting comfortably in their seats as the plane took off. Lucas was glad that he had his plex with him; the 16 hour flight would be an ample opportunity to study. He had plenty of textbooks on his plex, ready to be read. Some people would say that it was strange for a young boy to voluntarily study while on holiday but Lucas didn't care. He was eager to soak up as much knowledge as he could.

Lucas settled down into the soft seat and brought up the text book that he was currently in the middle of reading. Yet it appeared that luck was not on his side as he was stopped by the same thing that had prevented him from studying back in the dorm not 24 hours prior. Noise. It appeared that the other passengers on the plane, like Lucas's dorm mates, were determined to stop him from studying by providing a distraction in the form of loud mindless chatter. Like Lucas's class mates, the noise wasn't an intentional distraction however it did serve to frustrate him. Though the noise was a lot quieter than it was back at school it still wasn't quiet enough for Lucas to be able to concentrate and retain any information. So Lucas decided to join his fellow passengers in their chatter by starting a conversation with his mother.

"Will Wash be there?" Lucas asked eagerly with a big grin on his face.

"She might turn up at some point," Ayani teased, knowing how much her son liked Wash.

"Is that a yes?" prompted Lucas, eager to find out if he would get to see his favourite lieutenant.

"Yes, Alicia will be there," she replied, watching as Lucas's face lit up, his previous disappointment pushed to the back of his mind.

Lucas had been smitten by Wash since they first time they had met several years ago. Wash spent quite a lot of time with the Taylors and whenever Lucas was home for the holidays he would try to spend as much time as possible with her. Taylor had once mentioned that Lucas followed Wash around like a lost puppy dog. That comment didn't sit well with Lucas. He had childishly stormed off with his arms folded and a frown on his face. It had taken the three of them quite a while to convince Lucas to come out of his room after that.

"I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you," Ayani continued, adding fuel to the fire that was Lucas's hero worship of Wash.

"Really?" Lucas asked, eagerly sitting up straighter and turning to face his mother. "Did she mention me?" Ayani laughed at her son's eagerness, causing a mock scowl to appear on his face that soon merged into a grin.

"You'll like Somalia," Ayani said, changing the subject. "It's nice there and there are some kids around your age for you to be friends with on the base and yes there will be time for you to study," she continued, knowing from experience that Lucas would ask about studying. Although Lucas was still very much a child he was quite mature for his age. He knew what was important.

"We will be safe, right?" Lucas asked in a small voice. While Ayani and Taylor did everything that they could to make Lucas's time on base with them as safe and similar to a normal life as possible, yet Lucas was very aware that he was travelling into the middle of a war.

Ayani's face fell. Lucas asked this question every time. While Ayani wanted to tell her son that everything would be fine and they would be safe she knew the dangers and uncertainty that came with life, especially this life. She also knew that she couldn't lie to her son; he was too smart and wouldn't be fooled.

"Your father will take care of us," she responded, hoping that she could get away with skirting around the question. Lucas accepted her answer with a stiff nod yet he didn't look particularly convinced.

The pair settled into a slightly uncomfortable silence, both thinking of the potential dangers that they might face in Somalia. After a few moments of silence Lucas pulled out his plex, hoping that he could distract himself by reading up on the time fracture. As part of his application for the scholarship to the Phoenix University Lucas was required to submit an essay on his theories on the time fracture. Though he had already done an extensive amount of research on the topic and had nearly completed his task, he stilled planned to do a lot more work. He knew that if he was going to get into this university he was going to have to write the best essay possible.

Lucas glanced over to his mother, wondering if he should tell her the news that he was being considered for a scholarship to this prestigious university. When he saw that Ayani was looking out the window with a slightly worried look on her face, he decided that he could find a better time to tell her. So Lucas turned back to his plex, hoping that it could amuse him for the remainder of the long flight, or at least until he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

Alright another quick author's note seeing as I am once again running out of time (six minutes until midnight). Thank you to everyone who is putting up with my awful rushed work. I love you all. Thanks especially to those who take the time out to review. This chapter was another difficult one to write but hopefully when I get into the more interesting stuff soon they will be easier to write. Okay time is running out. I will be back to post again tomorrow. **  
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**Chapter Three**

**3 August 2138**

Lucas stretched his arms as he walked off the plane alongside his mother, stiff and sore after the long flight. He glanced around the airport eagerly, hoping to see his father's familiar face amongst the crowd. After searching for a minute or so it became apparent that Taylor wasn't there. Lucas's face instantly fell, disappointed by his father's absence.

Ayani brought her arm around her son's shoulders in a comforting gesture, trying to cheer him up. Lucas was very upset that his father wasn't there. Though he knew that it was a possibility that his father wouldn't be there, there was a small part of him that had held onto the hope that Taylor would find a way to be there to pick him up, especially since he had failed to make the journey to Lucas's school to pick him up. It appeared that the days where Taylor appeared to be some sort of a super hero or godlike figure to Lucas, always appearing whenever he needed him, were fading.

"Come on," Ayani spoke as she led Lucas towards the baggage claim, picking up their bags before making their way towards the exit.

Upon exiting the airport they walked outside to a waiting vehicle. Though Taylor couldn't make it to pick up his family he didn't leave them stranded, he had sent one of his soldiers to pick them up and take them back to the place that Lucas would call home for the next 4 weeks.

The journey to Lucas's new home was a mostly silent affair. Ayani would occasionally point out features of the area in an attempt to cheer Lucas up and get him excited about his upcoming holiday yet she, like the majority of the human race, knew that the earth wasn't the beautiful place that it once was. The truth was that Lucas's wasn't particularly interested in what was going on outside. Sure there was a time when the Somalian landscape would have been an interesting and even striking site to gaze upon but that time had long since passed. Now the country looked just like the rest of the earth, polluted, dark and dead.

In the dying world everything looked the same. Every country looked the same, dead. The entire planet seemed to have lost hope in the future. But some people were looking for a way out, a way to escape the dying world. For some people the answer was in the sky. They hoped that they could find another planet to live on. Then there were those, like the Taylor family, that turned to time for a solution. They hoped that in time the time fracture could lead them to a new world for humans to live in, a second chance for civilisation. One thing was for certain; earth wasn't going to last much longer.

Soon Ayani and Lucas were climbing out of the car and making their way towards the house where they would be staying. Lucas glanced around curiously, checking out his new house. It was very similar to the houses that they usually stayed in on base, two bedrooms a bathroom, a kitchen and a living/dining area. Most military bases were the same, or at least very similar.

"Dad I'm home!" Lucas called out into the house yet he was met with silence. His father wasn't there.

Ayani gestured towards the room that was to be Lucas's but Lucas didn't need the direction. He was used to finding his way around new houses. It seemed that nearly every time that he came home for the holidays his parents had moved to a new base. Lucas understood that it was something that came with his father's job yet he couldn't help feeling like one day his parents would move and there wouldn't be a place for him. Though it was a rather irrational fear, Lucas's parents had never given any indication that they didn't love him and want him. However Lucas couldn't help noticing that his father seemed to be spending less and less time with him, the empty house was an indication of that.

"Why don't you go and unpack and I'll see about making us some lunch," Ayani suggested. Lucas nodded before walking off to his room, knowing that it was better this way as he could hide his disappointment at his father's absence.

It didn't take Lucas long to unpack. His clothes were roughly thrown into the wardrobe and his plexes (yes he had more than one. One plex wasn't enough to hold all of his books) were placed on the desk along with the few actual books that Lucas owned. The last item that Lucas unpacked was perhaps one of the smallest of his possessions yet its size wasn't any indication of its significance. The small envelope that Lucas held in his hands was quite possibly one of his most important possessions. It was his letter from the Phoenix University notifying him that he was one of the candidates for the scholarship. To Lucas it represented a chance at fulfilling all of his dreams.

Lucas turned the envelope over in his hands, wondering if he should tell his mother about this news. He had originally planned to tell his parents together yet the fact that his father wasn't there made that rather difficult. In the end Lucas's eagerness to share his news won out. If his father didn't care enough to be there on time then he could hear Lucas's news after Ayani did. It was Taylor's loss anyway. Grabbing the letter, Lucas walked out to the kitchen (although technically walking probably wasn't the best word seeing as the first few steps that Lucas took were more childish stomping than walking due to Lucas's frustration at his father's absence).

"What's this?" Ayani questioned as Lucas placed the letter down on the bench and climbed up onto a stool. He watched as Ayani scanned the letter, her eyes darting across the page before her face lit up as realisation dawned on her.

"Oh, honey that's so exciting. I'm so proud of you," she exclaimed, moving around the bench to hug her son.

"I really want to go there," Lucas replied, referring to the university. "They're studying the time fracture there. I could study it too, maybe even go through it once human travel is possible. I could even bring you and dad with me," he continued eagerly as Ayani hugged him closer. It shouldn't have surprised Ayani that her son was applying to this university. It had only been his dream to work on the time fracture since he had learnt of it when he was four. Yet four year old Lucas dreaming of it and fourteen year old Lucas actually having the opportunity to work on it were two completely different things.

"Your father will be so proud of you," Ayani continued, feeling as Lucas stiffened in her arms.

"Yeah I suppose," he replied, looking significantly less excited than he had a few seconds earlier.

"He will be home soon, I promise," she said, knowing exactly what it was that was bothering him. "He wants to be here. He's just..."

"Busy, yeah I know," answered Lucas, cutting Ayani off mid sentence.

Ayani released Lucas with a heavy heart, not liking seeing her son upset. She stood up and walked over to the bench, picking up their lunch and walking back over to Lucas.

"So tell me everything about this Phoenix University," she said as she sat down, prompting Lucas to begin a long discussion about the benefits of the Phoenix University. It was a conversation that lasted many hours, certainly for the rest of the afternoon and even late into the evening. If there was one topic that Lucas was good at talking about it was his future plans, especially those involving the time fracture.

The conversation served to distract Lucas, exactly as Ayani had planned it to. Lucas's worries about his father were forgotten for the time being as he spent an enjoyable evening discussing his future with the woman that he loved most, his mother.


	5. Chapter 4

I made it! I have 34 minutes left before I have to post this so technically I could write you all a 1000 word author's note but I won't. I have to sleep and write chapter five and stuff.

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and alerted and favourited. Hopefully the story should get a little more interesting soon. I have some good stuff planned that will happen soon plus a familiar character or two that will appear (bonus points if you can guess who). Also bonus points to me for successfully updating 4 days in a row, if you knew how bad my writer's block has been lately you would understand why this is something that needs celebrating.

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**Chapter Four**

**4 August 2138**

Early the following morning Lucas found himself lying in bed. Sleep was evading him. He glanced over at the clock on the bedside table to see the numbers 04:08 illuminated in green shining back at him. His state of consciousness was partially due to jet lag – he was still living on American time, and partially due to the area that they were currently in.

While they weren't exactly right on the front line, Lucas was very much aware that he was in the middle of a war. The civilians were assured that they were very safe, there was a perimeter set up and soldiers patrolling 24/7 yet Lucas didn't feel 100% safe, especially while his father was absent. Things were different when Taylor was around, Lucas felt safer, he trusted his father to keep them safe. But while Taylor wasn't there Lucas was the man of the house, even though he was still a child. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was the wrong place to be. He couldn't help thinking that something bad was going to happen.

Suddenly the sound of a door unlocking caught Lucas's attention. He instantly sat up, fear filling his stomach. He slowly climbed out of bed, glancing around his room as he did so, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon yet finding nothing. He carefully made his way out of his room, knowing that he had to get to his mother and make sure that she was okay, hoping that he could find a weapon on the way.

As Lucas stepped out into the hallway he saw that his mother was at the door facing two figures. Fear coursed through him, fearing the worst, before his eyes registered the figures.

"Dad!" he called as he ran across the room to where his father stood, being welcomed by his embrace. Taylor held Lucas close for a moment, savouring the feeling of holding his son after months apart.

"Hey kid," Wash said, ruffling his hair as she stepped into the room, moving to greet Ayani with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I just wanted to make sure that this one got back alright," she explained, gesturing to Taylor. "Plus I need to check on his stomach in some decent light."

"It's fine Wash," Taylor said, brushing her off as he released Lucas and walked into the house, shutting the door behind him as he did so. Though he professed to be fine it was quite clear to all those present that he was not fine. He stood slightly hunched over, his stomach was obviously paining him. It was then that Lucas noticed his father's blood soaked clothes.

The sight terrified Lucas more than he cared to admit. He was used to seeing his father as some sort of invincible super hero, a god-like figure among men. Lucas was aware that with war came injuries yet he had never seen his father this badly injured before. It scared him to see his father this weakened.

"What happened?" Lucas gasped as Ayani helped Taylor remove his shirt before helping him to lay down on the couch.

"Some bastard stabbed me right in the stomach," he answered truthfully, perhaps a little too truthfully judging by the look of horror on Lucas's face.

Taylor winced slightly as Wash applied antiseptic to the wound. Having already stitched it up on the field it was now time for her to make sure that it was fixed up and to remind him to take it easy. Lucas watched in horror as Wash tended to the wound. He had never seen his father this weak and in so much pain. It appeared that if there was anything that could take Taylor down it was a knife to the stomach. Lucas knew that this was a memory that would be etched in his brain forever. His father just looked so weak and helpless, two words that were not often used to describe the great Commander Taylor.

"It's alright, honey," Ayani said as she placed a comforting hand on Lucas's back, bringing him out of his reverie. Ayani was used to Taylor coming home with all sorts of injuries and though it still worried her she knew that if anyone could patch him back up it was Alicia.

Lucas looked up to see that it was as his mother had said, it was alright. Taylor was sitting up now, though it was obvious that his stomach still pained him seeing as though he was playing his usual tough Taylor act and was refusing to take any painkillers.

"He's going to be fine," she continued in a reassuring voice. Lucas nodded absentmindedly, still overcome with shock at seeing his father so helpless. "Go back to bed."

Lucas nodded again, seeing that his father was heading off to bed to get some much needed rest and Wash was settling down on the couch rather than making the trek back to the barracks. Everyone was returning to bed. Lucas walked backed to his room, half in a daze, before climbing into his bed. The sound of Ayani turning off the lights and shutting the doors could be heard throughout the house.

Lucas sat in his bed, knees brought up to his chest, trying to get the image of his father out of his mind yet it haunted him. He couldn't help wondering how many more times his father would sport that helpless and pained look. How many more times would Taylor come home injured and what if he didn't come home at all? Taylor was supposed to be the one that protected Lucas and Ayani, he couldn't do that if he was off getting injured. The thought of his father not being able to protect him and his mother scared Lucas more than he cared to admit.

Lucas glanced down at his shirt, seeing that it had managed to collect some of Taylor's lost blood. He turned his hands over, seeing that they had suffered the same fate as his pyjama top. He had to get the blood off him, it was a reminder of how weak and vulnerable Taylor had looked. Lucas jumped up, running out of the room towards the bathroom as fast as he could. He turned the tap on before trying to take his shirt off, fumbling with the buttons in his haste to rid himself of the bloodied garment. Soon the shirt lay on the floor and Lucas was running his hands under the tap trying to remove all traces of blood, nearly scrubbing his hands raw.

He splashed some water on his face, hoping that it would release him from this state of shock he was in. He glanced up at the mirror, looking at his scared reflection, then suddenly a light in the background caught his eye. He turned off the tap and made his way out to the lounge. There he found Wash sitting up on the couch, illuminated by the light of a lamp. She glanced up towards Lucas and patted the couch next to her in a welcoming gesture.

"He'll be alright," Wash said as Lucas sat next to her. He raised his eyebrows dubiously at her. "He will. He's the toughest man I know. This injury will only set him back a couple of days."

"Really?" Lucas asked, turning to face her.

"You think that a little injury like that could stop the great Commander Taylor?" she asked with a smile. Hearing the words come out of Wash's mouth seemed to help Lucas. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Come here," Wash spoke as she opened her arms and welcomed Lucas in for a hug. "He'll be okay, I promise." Lucas nodded in her arms, feeling her words reassuring him. "Now get some sleep kid."

Lucas pulled out of Wash's arms yet he didn't go back to his bedroom as she had intended him to, instead he curled up at the end of the couch. He felt safe and protected with Wash. Plus this wasn't the first time that he had tried to steal the couch from her when she had stayed over. Soon he drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Later that morning Lucas awoke to find himself sprawled on the lounge floor and Wash stretched out on the couch. The smell of food instantly caught his attention, causing him to get up and make his way over to the kitchen.

"Afternoon, sleepy head," Ayani greeted him as he walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"What's the time?" he asked as he sat on a stool, eagerly waiting to see what his mother was cooking.

"Nearly four," she chastised. "You've been asleep the entire day.

"I was tired," he shrugged. "Do you think I should wake Wash up?"

"No!" Ayani argued firmly, knowing that Lucas would enjoy nothing more than to run in and jump on Wash to wake her up. "Your father and Wash need their sleep. Let them rest on their day off."

Lucas jumped up, trying to steal some of whatever Ayani was cooking.

"Uhuh, hands off," Ayani warned, shooing him away. "Unless you want to help."

"Sure," Lucas agreed, feigning innocence as he walked around Ayani before quickly grabbed some of the food that she was chopping. Ayani shook her head, unable to stay mad at her son when she got to see so little of him.

Later that evening Taylor and Wash woke briefly to join Lucas and Ayani for dinner before both going back to their respective beds, claiming that they both needed some more sleep to recharge before they returned to training the following day. This left Lucas and Ayani to do the dishes, something that didn't exactly go down to well with Lucas. However the tiresome chore soon turned into fun as Lucas splashed Ayani with the water from the sink, prompting the start of a water fight.

Once Lucas and Ayani had finished the dishes and cleaned up all the spilt water, they made their way to the lounge where they sat together, Ayani's arms wrapped around her son as they enjoyed a peaceful evening. One thing was for sure, Lucas was a lot more at ease that he had been the previous night.


	6. Chapter 5

I made it again! 5 days in a row, I haven't written this much in several months. I'm nearly a quarter of the way through this challenge. Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing. I love reading your reviews. I love waking up to find my inbox filled with reviews (anyone getting my not so subtle hint here?). Anyway, new chapter, yay! There's a new character in this chapter too who I shall reveal more about later. I would love to hear your theories on this character. Anyway I shall shut up now and let you read and let myself get some sleep, I have uni tomorrow. Until tomorrow my dears, in the words of Michael Sandrelli: I'll bid you adieu.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**5 August 2138**

The next day Lucas found himself sitting at his desk with his plex in front of him, his essay open on the screen. Though this essay wasn't the only thing that Lucas's application to university was being judged on, he wanted it to be perfect. It was the last piece of the puzzle that was his application for the scholarship. It was his last chance to show the scholarship selectors that he deserved it.

Lucas read over the essay for what would have been the hundredth time, searching for any possible mistake that could mean the difference between achieving his dream and being stuck with his second choice. Lucas wouldn't see any mistakes. He had been over his essay time and time again. He knew that there was nothing more that he could do. It was time to send it yet he couldn't help the feeling of doubt that sat in the back of his mind. Lucas's finger hovered over the send button, knowing that he couldn't do anything more to it now yet at the same time believing that there had to be something that he could do to improve his essay.

One press of a button on the touch screen was all it took for the essay to go flying off into cyberspace. It was done. It was out of Lucas's hands now. All he could do was wait to hear back from the university. Fortunately they would announce the winner of the scholarship in a few days but to Lucas that seemed to be an age away.

Lucas stood up and made his way out of his room towards the kitchen, knowing that hiding in his room would do nothing to settle his nerves. Upon entering the kitchen he found his mother in front of the stove and his father sitting at the bench.

"I sent the essay," he announced slightly nervously as he entered the room. Ayani instantly turned around, knowing exactly what Lucas was talking about.

"Honey," she said, dropping the tongs she was holding and walking over to hug Lucas. "You know no matter what happens I'm so proud of you, right? Those selectors are crazy if they don't choose you." Lucas smiled in her embrace. She always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"What's this?" Taylor questioned as he placed his coffee mug down on the bench.

"Our son is one of the five finalists for a scholarship to the Phoenix University," Ayani announced proudly.

"Well done, son," Taylor replied as he stood up and walked over to hug his wife and son.

The three of them stood holding each other in the kitchen for a moment until Lucas decided that it was way too much affection for a fourteen year old boy to handle and squirmed out of his parent's embrace.

"We'll have to do something special to celebrate," Taylor decided as he returned to his mug of coffee.

"Maybe you and I could do something special today," Lucas suggested excitedly.

"Sorry, kid. I can't today. I've got business to attend to," Taylor replied, watching as his son's face visibly fell. "Tell you what. How about we have a nice family dinner tonight to celebrate and you and I can spend the day together tomorrow, and that's a promise."

"That sounds great," Ayani said, hoping that her enthusiasm would cheer Lucas up.

"Yeah, alright," Lucas replied, though he was a lot less enthusiastic than Ayani. His disappointment was obvious.

"Alright, well I'd better be off then," Taylor said, leaning over to kiss his wife and ruffle his son's hair before walking out the door. "I'll see you at 5 for dinner." Lucas watched as his father left without a backwards glance, making promises that Lucas hoped he could fulfil.

"I'm going for a walk," Lucas informed his mother as he stood up, needing to get out of the house.

He made his way out the door and into the streets. His rebreather was left at home seeing as the 'streets' that he currently walked were actually in a large warehouse, sort of like a smaller version of a dome, that had been made to look like an actual street and so there was no need to filter the already filtered air.

After walking for a few minutes Lucas came to an intersection. Having never been here before he had no idea where he was going or where anything was yet he found that wandering with no plan was quite therapeutic. On a whim he decided to turn left, hoping that it would prove to be the more exciting path. Lucas had just turned the corner when a tower of blankets ran smack bang into him.

As the pile of blankets fell to the ground Lucas saw that they were being carried by a small girl who looked to be about 7 or 8 years old. As the girl emerged from the blankets Lucas apologised, holding out his hand to help the girl to her feet.

"What are you doing with all this stuff," he questioned, curious as to why a child would be carrying around blankets on a military base.

"My friends and I are making a fort in case the bad men come onto the base," she replied cheerfully as she began gathering up the blankets. "Then we can hide in there and fight them off. Want to come and see?

Seeing as Lucas had nothing better to do, he decided to go with the girl, hoping that it would prove to be more interesting than aimlessly wandering the streets. He reached down to pick up some of the scattered blankets, hoping that with the pair of them both carrying them they could avoid another crash. The girl began walking off, leaving Lucas to follow along behind her. After walking for a few minutes the girl turned into a small alleyway before spinning back around to face Lucas, saying "Tada!" as she did so. Lucas glanced around to see that at the end of the alley way there was a collection of crates and boxes with an assortment of blankets sprawled over them, creating a makeshift blanket fort.

Inside the fort, which was currently roofless, Lucas could see that there were all sorts of supplies; non-perishable food, bottled water, pillows, extra blankets, everything that you would expect to find in a bomb shelter or panic room, if said items in the bomb shelter or panic room were supplied by a child. Although Lucas had to admit that the blanket fort was rather impressive. Though he was considered to be too old to be playing in such things now, he had to admire a fine piece of blanket architecture.

"We've got everything we need to survive in here," she announced proudly. "Food, water, shelter, protective armour," she listed as she pointed to each thing in turn, ending by gesturing to a pile of buckets and old oversized camouflage clothing that might appear to be some sort of armour to a young child, not that it would do much good against a bullet, grenade or any other sort of weapon.

"Very impressive," Lucas noted, seeing that the girl was obviously very proud of herself and had obviously put a lot of effort into this.

"Thanks. It will be better once the roof is up," she replied as she put the blankets down. "My brother was supposed to help me because I can't reach that high but then he said that this is stupid and it's not a real fort." A pout spread across the girls face at her last words, obviously upset by her brother's comments.

"Would you like me to help?" Lucas volunteered, watching as the girl's face lit up as she nodded excitedly.

Lucas reached for the blanket that she passed to him, opening it up and shaking it, letting it settle atop the boxes and crates. After putting the blanket on top as a roof and placing a couple of rocks on it to hold it down the pair stood back and looked at the results of their work.

"Thank you!" the girl said excitedly. "Now I have a proper fort and I will be safe from all the bad guys!" Lucas chuckled at her excitement, enjoying the fact that such a small deed had made a child so happy.

"Would you like to come inside?"she invited. Lucas nodded before the girl got on her hands and knees and crawled through the entry way, prompting him to do the same.

Lucas voiced his appreciation upon entering the shelter, seeing that the girl and her friends had obviously gone to a lot of effort, something that made the girl happy judging by the big grin that appeared on her face at his words. The girl took Lucas on a short tour of the place, showing him all the important things from the 'kitchen' – the part of the shelter that housed the food, to the watch tower – a crate positioned at the back of the shelter that would allow a small child to see over the top of the roof if they were standing on it. After Lucas had been shown all the important parts of the shelter he realised that it was getting late and he needed to get back for dinner with his parents.

"I should probably go," Lucas said after the girl had finished explaining the many ways that the shelter could protect them in the event of an attack.

"Okay but just remember that if the bad men come you can come here and be safe or if you just want to come and play with me and my friends you can do that too," the girl reminded cheerfully.

"Thanks," Lucas replied, smiling at the girl before crawling out of the shelter and making his way back home. As he walked back he realised that he didn't even ask the girl what her name was. He had a feeling that he would be seeing her again.

* * *

Dinner was a nice quiet family affair, that is if by 'family' you mean just Lucas and Ayani. When it came to dinner time and Taylor had not returned home Lucas and Ayani waited, Ayani promising her son that his father would make it. He would be there, he had promised. After several hours of waiting, Lucas and Ayani ate alone, both deciding that they couldn't wait any longer. The food was cold and many hours past a time when it would have been considered a good meal yet what tasted the worst was the fact that Taylor wasn't there. He had left them again, breaking his promises once again.

Lucas went to bed straight after dinner, claiming that he was tired when in reality he just didn't want to stay up to hear his father's excuses and hide his disappointment. Taylor had let Lucas down, again.


	7. Chapter 6

****Three minutes to go so I will be quick. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Now this was pretty much all written in the last hour so it is probably awful. I am so tired that I can barely see so my editing/writing was pretty awful. I'll try to get chapter 7 written at a decent time so that it isn't so terrible. Anyway I hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think, even if it is just to yell at me for procrastinating and spending all day watching Rush and Doctor Who instead of writing.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**6 August 2138**

A loud knock on the door sounded through Lucas's bedroom. It could only be his father judging by the strength and intensity of the knock. Lucas rolled over in bed, facing away from the door. He heard the door opening yet he remained still, feigning sleep.

"Lucas," Taylor called softly as he stepped into the room. Lucas's response was to squeeze his eyes shut, hoping that he might leave. But alas, Taylor wasn't giving up that easily. He walked over to the bed and sat down, placing his hand on Lucas's shoulder.

"I know you're awake," Taylor spoke, prompting Lucas to slowly turn his head towards his father, opening his eyes as he did so, giving him his best grumpy face. "It's time to get up. We're supposed to be spending the day together and it's nearly 10 o'clock." Lucas turned back away from his father. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend the day with him, it was just that he wasn't quite ready to forgive him for missing their family dinner, especially since it was his suggestion.

"Look I'm sorry that I missed dinner," he continued. "It couldn't be helped. But we have all day together, or at least what's left of the day."

"Where's Mom?" Lucas asked, ignoring his father's apology.

"She's out. It's just you and me today," Taylor replied with a smile.

"Okay I'm getting up," Lucas responded, accepting that he wouldn't win this one.

Taylor left the room, leaving Lucas to dress for the day. After an hour or so of Lucas deliberately drawing out the process of getting dressed to keep his father waiting, he was finally dressed and ready to go. They had only made it out of the house and down the street before Taylor dumped another surprise on Lucas.

"I just have to make a quick detour to the office to speak to a couple of people," he explained casually as though it had just slipped him mind when in reality he was just waiting for the right moment to spring the news on Lucas.

Lucas nodded, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop this, though he wasn't enthusiastic about it by any means. It was so typical of his father to drag him along on the pretence of spending the day with him before doing some boring work related activity.

After a short walk Lucas and Taylor arrived at the office. Taylor led them over to his desk, pulling out a chair for Lucas to sit in. It was a typical office building filled with desks, chairs and small cubicles as well as dozens of people sitting mindlessly typing on their plexes.

"I won't be long," Taylor announced. "Now there should be some toys or something around for you to play with..."

"Dad," Lucas interrupted. "I'm fourteen."

"Right," replied Taylor. "Too old to play with toys," he added as an afterthought to himself. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

Lucas sat waiting at the desk, spinning himself around on the chair to amuse himself. He had been sitting there for at least half an hour when a sound caught his attention.

"Psst, psst."

Lucas glanced around until he saw the girl that he had met the previous day crouched under one of the desks.

"Psst," she repeated, beckoning at him frantically. "Come over here." Lucas decided to do as the girl wished, walking over to the desk and crouching down next to her.

"You can't tell anyone I'm here," she whispered quite loudly for someone who appeared to be hiding.

"Okay," Lucas whispered back, deciding to play along. "Do your parents know you're here?"

"I'm hiding," she continued, stating the obvious and ignoring his concerns. "I need to practise hiding in case the bad guys come." Lucas looked at the child, thinking how upsetting it was that such a young girl was living in fear of an event which she shouldn't even have to worry about, so much so that even her games centred on saving her own life.

"I'm practising escaping without being seen," she informed him. "Do you want to play with me?"

"I'm sorry," Lucas replied, seeing that his father was on his way back, finally. "I have to go now. Maybe some other time." Though hiding under a desk wasn't exactly his idea of fun he didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings. She was a sweet child, one that had apparently taken a liking to him.

"Okay," the girl replied. "But just remember, when the bad men come you need to go and hide somewhere safe, like my fort."

"Okay," Lucas replied seriously, going along with it. He stood up as his father entered the room, watching as the girl scurried back under the desk.

"Ready?" Taylor asked.

"You said ten minutes," Lucas said grumpily by way of reply. Taylor chose to ignore this comment, knowing that no good could come from getting in a debate with his son.

As Lucas followed his father out of the room the sound of tiny hands and knees could be heard scurrying across the floor, like a large oversized mouse that wasn't too good at not getting caught.

"Psst!"

Lucas glanced back to see the girl's head sticking out from behind the desk. She reached out her hand, waving to him, prompting Lucas to do the same, smiling at her before walking out the door.

"I was thinking that we could head down to the shooting range," Taylor suggested as they walked out of the office. Lucas nodded, thinking that it had to be better than sitting in an office by himself.

It didn't take long for them to reach the shooting range. Taylor walked to the back of the room, followed by his son, before surveying the weapons that were lined up there, selecting a gun and picking it up.

"I reckon you're probably old enough to try out one of these now," Taylor commented, handing the gun over to Lucas, hoping that this would earn him some brownie points and get him back in Lucas's good books.

"Really?" Lucas asked excitedly, hardly believing what he was hearing. It appeared that Taylor's plan was working.

"Yep," Taylor replied. "You're growing up and it's about time that I taught my son to shoot. You never know when you might need to know how to shoot."

"I'm not joining the military if that's what you're suggesting," Lucas informed him, having had several variations of this conversation about his career with his father before.

"Don't say no until you've tried it," Taylor responded.

"Dad, I'm going to university," Lucas replied, exasperated at having to have this same debate over and over again.

"You could do both," Taylor argued enthusiastically. "You could do your degree and then join the military when you turn eighteen."

"Dad," Lucas warned, swiftly tiring of this father son bonding day. It was exactly as he had expected it to be.

"Alright, alright," Taylor replied, giving in for now, pulling his gun out of his holster and grabbing a couple of ear protectors for where they hung on the wall, handing one to Lucas before donning the other pair himself. "Now this is what you have to do."

Taylor held the gun up, aiming it at the targets across the room. He hit every target in succession, impressing Lucas immensely. It was easy work for Taylor, though he was showing off just a little bit for his son. Though he had just received a horrific injury to his stomach only days prior you would have never known it with the way he acted. Modern medicine was an amazing thing.

"Now it's your turn," he announced, walking over to Lucas and loading the gun for him, showing him everything that he needed to know about it.

Lucas held the gun up and waited as Taylor adjusted his grip and stance before he was given the all clear. Lucas pulled the trigger, feeling adrenaline rushing through him. The first shot was much too far to the left although Lucas didn't care. He was too excited. He aimed again before firing, his second shot still too far to the left though much closer than the first on. Taylor walked back over to Lucas, helping him to aim before stepping back and letting him do this on his own. The third shot hit the target straight in the head, causing Lucas to let out a whoop of joy. Taylor smiled, walking back over to his son and smiling at him.

"That was so cool!" Lucas announced as he removed his ear protectors, looking as though he could jump up and down with excitement.

"You could do that every day if you were in the military," Taylor informed him, causing Lucas to let out a long whine of "Dad", drawing out the A. Taylor held up his hands in surrender, accepting defeat and not wanting to annoy his son yet the damage was already done, Lucas's buzz was already fading. They both knew that this was a debate that would not end any time soon.

It was this moment that Lieutenant Washington decided to walk into the room, cheering Lucas up immediately. She walked over to the pair, taking in the sight of them and instantly deducing what they were up to.

"Hey, Wash, check this out!" Lucas bragged before turning back to the target and firing, his shot going much too far to the right.

"Impressive," Wash noted, humouring him just a little bit. "But you need to improve your stance." She walked over to him, helping him to fix up his problems before telling him to try again.

This shot was much better and hit the target in the shoulder prompting a loud "ohhh" from Lucas as he chuckled. It was clear that he was enjoying this. After fifteen minutes with Wash, Lucas was able to hit the target three times in succession. A feat that he was very proud of.

"Dad! Dad! Did you see that?" he asked excitedly, turning to look for his father only to see that he was off talking on his comms to someone.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," he said as he walked back over to them. "There's someone I need to talk to. I have to go."

"I'll take him home," Wash volunteered. Taylor quickly thanked her before rushing off.

"I can walk home by myself. I'm not a kid," Lucas replied. "But thanks." He smiled up at her, secretly glad that he got to spend the entire walk back to his house with her.

"No problem," Wash said, taking the gun off him and putting it away which earned her a frown. "Come on, I hear your mother's making pizza for dinner." That was something that put a smile back on Lucas's face. It was clear to Wash that key to this boy's happiness was food and attention.

When they arrived back home Wash was immediately invited to dinner, something that she immediately agreed to. Lucas was glad as this allowed him to spend several more hours with her, it almost made his forget about his father's absence.

"You should have seen me," Lucas bragged to his mother. "I shot the target over and over again and if it was a person he would have been dead. I didn't even miss or anything. I just kept shooting the target." It was clear that he was exaggerating but he was exited, not even the lack of his father's presence could take that away from him.

"Did he?" Ayani mouthed to Alicia over the top of Lucas's head. Wash shook her head, prompting the two women to share a smile before Ayani turned to Lucas. "Wow honey, I'm so proud of you. That's amazing." Just because she knew his bluff it didn't mean that she was going to call him out on it. She would let him brag, he deserved it.

Once again Taylor was absent for dinner yet Lucas had an enjoyable meal with his mother and Ayani. He couldn't help wishing that his father was there though. He had promised to spend the entire day with him and had barely spent an hour with him, something that had disappointed Lucas a lot more than he had let on. Lucas just hoped that he could find some more time to spend with him. He missed his dad, this afternoon had reminded him of that.


	8. Chapter 7

Alright I'm super late. I haven't even finished editing this but I need to post it. I'll do another edit after I post it just so I don't fail my challenge. Thanks for the reviews. This is pretty crap because it was pretty much all written in the past half hour. Also I am emotional over Mella. I'll write tomorrow's chapter when I am awake and unemotional.

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**Chapter Seven**

**7 August 2138**

The following day Lucas woke up to find his father seated on his bed, it was almost like it had been the previous day. Lucas groaned, rolling over in his bed. Though he had enjoyed his time at the shooting range, he couldn't help remembering the rest of the day when his father had left him. He was still bitter about it, but he was allowed to be, his father had broken his promise to him again.

"Look I know I stuffed up," Taylor began. "But I want to try and make it up to you."

Lucas remained silent, knowing that if he didn't he was likely to end up saying something that he regretted. He was disappointed and upset with his father but he wasn't angry with him. He didn't actually want to hurt him. He knew that Taylor didn't mean to disappoint him, it just happened a fair bit these days. The days when Taylor was Lucas's hero and could do no wrong were fading fast. Soon they would just be a speck in the past.

"What did you have in mind?" Lucas enquired, trying to cheer up for Taylor. He would give his father another chance, he deserved that much. Lucas wasn't a heartless monster.

"I was thinking we could stay here and play chess," Taylor suggested. "No distractions, no work, just you and me, just like the old days."

"Sounds good," Lucas replied with a smile. "I'll be out in a minute." Taylor nodded before leaving Lucas to get dressed.

Five minutes later Lucas was dressed and after a quick detour to the kitchen he met his father in the lounge where he found him setting up the chess board. It was quite dusty, clearly it hadn't been used it a while, probably not since the last time that Lucas and his father had played. It was a past time of theirs that they both enjoyed and something that the used to frequently indulge in. Lucas was black and Taylor was white. It always seemed to end up this way even though neither of them ever planned it.

"I still remember the day I taught you to play this game," Taylor announced. "You were four years old, most people said you wouldn't be able to play it at such a young age but you picked it up right away."

"Yeah, that was about the only time you could beat me," Lucas teased as he moved his castle to capture his father's knight. Taylor chuckled at his son's teasing. Lucas was exaggerating of course. He was a brilliant chess player, always thinking several moves ahead, yet Taylor was rather skilled himself. He was really the only opponent that could challenge Lucas and the only one who could beat him, even if it was only on the odd occasion.

"Don't be so sure of that," replied Taylor as he hastily took Lucas's castle. He knew that was a mistake as soon as he saw a large smirk appear on Lucas's face.

"You getting old?" Lucas taunted as he proudly stole his father's queen off the board. "Your skills aren't what they used to be." Taylor narrowed his eyes in response, trying to find a way out of this.

Ten minutes later there were several less white pieces on the board and a very smug Lucas. Taylor never stood a chance after he had walked right into Lucas's trap. Lucas had always been good at baiting his father and lulling him into a false sense of security. It was probably one of the reasons that he had such a good record of beating his father at chess.

"How about we make it best out of three," suggested Taylor. "Come on, give your old man a chance."

"Alright," Lucas agreed immediately. He was actually enjoying himself quite a bit. "But don't think that I'll go soft on you this time."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, son," Taylor replied. "I'm going to kick your ass this time."

Three quarters on an hour later and Lucas had racked up two more wins. The score was three to nil and Lucas was as smug as ever. He did enjoy winning, especially when it involved beating his father. He wasn't above rubbing it in his father's face. It was tradition when they played these friendly chess games. The winner would gloat and the loser would face the humiliation.

"Come on, rematch," Lucas called, wanting to show off his superior chess skills again.

"No, I think I will spare myself the embarrassment," Taylor responded. It was this moment that Wash chose to appear, saving Taylor from further losses. "There, Wash will play with you."

"Wash will play what with whom?" she asked as she walked in and slumped down on the couch, very much like the owned the place. She was welcome and the Taylor's place whenever she wanted and had been told to treat the place as her own many times.

"Chess, with me," Lucas grinned, eager to test his skills against another opponent. "You up for it?"

"Well I feel like I've been issued a challenge," Wash retorted. "I'm game, bring it on, kid."

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself in for," Taylor interrupted. While Wash was aware that Lucas was a skilled chess player she had never actually played a game against him. She was in for a rude awakening.

"Do you have no faith in me, sir?" Wash asked, feigning hurt.

"Out on the battlefield as my lieutenant? Yes, you're the best out there. But playing chess against my son? You don't stand a chance," Taylor responded, earning him some brownie points with Lucas. "My money's on Lucas."

Half an hour later Lucas had achieved three more wins and a rather large increase to his ego. Wash had gracefully admitted defeat, accepting that Lucas was the superior player, much to Lucas's enjoyment. While he hadn't exactly been able to impress her at the shooting range he was certainly able to impress her on the chess board, a fact that he was secretly glad of.

"Alright, you and me, one final game," Taylor challenged his son, knowing that Lucas enjoyed nothing more than a good challenge.

"You're on," Lucas replied as his mother entered the room.

"I'm betting on Lucas this time," Wash announced, inflating Lucas's ego even more.

"I have to agree with you," Ayani said as she sat down.

"Well you may have the women on your side but you'll never beat me," Taylor retorted, hoping that he could restore some of his pride.

The game was close, much too close for Lucas's liking but in the end his superior thinking won out. After a victory dance around the room, much to the amusement of the adults Lucas sat back down on the couch with a huge smile on his face.

"Isn't it a bit of a worry that you, a military leader, lost a game that involves the skill of planning ahead?" Lucas teased, knowing exactly what to say to rile his father up.

"Rematch, tomorrow, once my ego has had some time to recover," Taylor ordered. "It took a bit of a battering today." Lucas sniggered, not-so-secretly proud of himself for his seven wins. He knew he could take his father again, he had the skills to beat him. He was actually looking forward to it. He had enjoyed spending the day with his father. He hoped that they could spend more days like this together.


	9. Chapter 8

Alright this is another very rough chapter but it's done. It's very rambly (is that even a word... I don't think it is. I don't know it's midnight and I'm really sick. I'm sitting here in the middle of winter in my underwear and I am boiling hot). Anyway this doesn't count as failing. It was uploaded to the site on time. I will have another (hopefully better) chapter for you tomorrow. Exciting things will happen soon. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed.

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**Chapter Eight**

**8 August 2138**

Lucas awoke early the next morning and bounced out of bed, quickly dressing before bounding out into the kitchen. He greeted his mother with a hug before moving to do the same to his father. Lucas was in a much better mood after his day of chess playing. Winning always put Lucas in a good mood, but what had really made a difference to Lucas was his father's undivided love and attention. For the first time in several months, Lucas and Taylor had been able to spend time together without any distractions. It was something that both father and son were glad of.

"So when's the rematch?" Lucas asked as he sat down next to his father.

"How about right after breakfast," Taylor suggested as Ayani placed a plate of pancakes in front of each of them. Lucas agreed eagerly, or at least that's what it sounded like as his mouth was stuffed full of pancakes.

The two Taylor boys both ate their breakfast swiftly, shovelling it into their mouths at an almost impossibly fast space in their haste to fill their stomachs and begin their challenge. Ayani wasn't even sure how they found the time to chew; they were shovelling the food in that quickly. Soon Lucas and Taylor were done eating and made their way back to the lounge where the chess board was waiting for them. Together they set up the pieces and soon they were ready to play.

Once again Lucas was black and Taylor was white. It was just like the previous day except this time Taylor was prepared. He had gotten a reminder of how skilled Lucas was at chess the day before and as a result he had picked up his game. He wasn't going to lose again.

The pair were a lot more evenly matched today. Thirty minutes had passed already and both had only succeeded in capturing one pawn each. The game continued on, filled with frustration. Both men were determined to not lose. There was a lot at stake, pride mostly, but it was a powerful motivator.

An hour passed and though two more pawns, a bishop and a castle had been taken from the board, neither were much closer to winning. They were both so similar in their playing style and tactical plans. It made for an interesting game. Ayani sat on the couch with her cup of tea, watching her two boys play, smiling at the way that they stared at the board intently, both completely focused on the task at hand.

Taylor moved his bishop across the board to capture Lucas's knight, causing a frown to appear on the young boy's face. Two moves later and Lucas's second castle was gone. Lucas didn't like this. He was losing and he knew it. Taylor was in the perfect position to take his queen, although if he did that then Lucas would be free to do the same. Was it worth the risk? Taylor knew that if he did this then Lucas would retaliate and take his queen, it would happen, it was inevitable. Was it worth losing his most precious piece all to make Lucas's queen fall and his defence crumble? In the end he decided he would take the chance. He had always been a risk was about to make the move when his coms buzzed. Glancing apologetically over at Lucas he stood up to answer it. He had to get this, it might be important.

Lucas's face fell and his spirits dropped as his father left the room. Even though he was upset that he was losing, he was more upset about what he knew would come. His father would be leaving soon, he just knew it. He would have much rather been losing to his father at chess than to be left alone. Either way he lost but one way hurt more. At least with one of the options he could lose and still spend time with his father.

"How many klicks away?" Lucas heard Taylor exclaim from the other room. "Right, I'll be over as soon as possible." Lucas's face fell, knowing that it was inevitable that his father would be abandoning him again.

"I'm sorry," Taylor apologised as he walked back into the room. "I have to..."

"You have to go," Lucas interrupted childishly with a pout. "Yeah, yeah I know. I've heard it all before."

"It's really important," Taylor replied, trying to get Lucas to understand the seriousness of the situation. He really didn't have a choice in the matter. "There are some rebels heading towards the base. I need to report and work out a course of action before they get too close..."

Ayani coughed, interrupting her husband, not wanting him to say anything that might cause Lucas to worry. But the damage had already been done. A seed of worry had already been planted in Lucas's mind.

"Well I had better be off now," Taylor said, hoping to leave before he said anything else that he shouldn't. "I will be back for dinner later on tonight."

As his father left Lucas glanced over at the chess board, thinking that it had been all fun and games while it had lasted, yet now it was just a memory. He shouldn't have expected to spend any lengthy amount of time with his father, whenever he hoped he just got disappointed.

"How about we continue the chess game," Ayani suggested, moving to take Taylor's vacated seat, trying to distract Lucas from his disappointment and worry.

Lucas nodded, accepting her offer though he still didn't look any happier. He appreciated that his mother was trying to spend time with him and cheer him up yet he couldn't help the worry that consumed him. He couldn't help remembering what the little girl had said to him: _when the bad men come, in case the bad guys come, if the bad men come, in case the bad men come..._It was almost as if she knew, almost as if it was some sort of premonition. Lucas couldn't help feeling as though she was supposed to be some sort of a warning.

Lucas had always been worried about some sort of an invasion occurring, it was a fear that had followed him around his entire life, but suddenly it seemed all the more real. It now seemed as if he actually had a cause for concern. He just hoped that he wouldn't find himself living through his worst nightmare, or worse.

The chess game between Lucas and Ayani was very different to the one that had Lucas and Taylor had shared earlier. Ayani took Taylor's place, taking with it his pieces and the lead that he held. Lucas was too distracted to play properly though. Ayani wasn't nearly as good a chess player as Lucas and to tell the truth she wasn't trying that hard, hoping that a win could help cheer Lucas up, but Lucas was distracted, much too distracted to play properly and while he easily regained the upper hand his heart wasn't in it. Both players lost pieces yet it wasn't the same since Taylor had left. The cheerfulness had left the room.

"What if they come here," Lucas piped up in a small voice, looking up at his mother. Ayani didn't need to ask to know that Lucas was talking about the Rebels. She was reminded of how young he actually was as he glanced up at her. He needed her and he needed his father, yet only one of them was there.

Abandoning their game Lucas walked around the table to be welcomed into his mother's arms. He had so many questions that needed answering, what would happen if the Rebels came, could they get into the city? What would Taylor do? Would he stay and protect them or would he go out and fight? Would Lucas and Ayani be left alone? There were so many questions that Lucas didn't know where to start. Instead he lay there in his mother's arms, letting her hand that was stroking his hair gently soothe him, knowing that as long as she was there everything would be alright, it had to be.

The pair lay there for hours, just holding each other, both worried about the situation although Ayani's worry was less obvious, wanting to stay strong an appear confident for her son. Occasionally Lucas would enquire about one of his worries and Ayani would reassure him though they both knew that she wasn't the one that held the answers to Lucas's questions. The one that did was nowhere to be found, off doing his duty to the country.

Later that evening Lucas and Ayani were both startled by the sound of the door opening. In walked Taylor and Wash, Taylor saying that Wash would be staying and offering no other explanation as to why this was happening. Ayani knew that it was because he wanted the extra security, things must be getting bad. Neither Taylor nor Wash took their weapons off when they came to sit down, another sign that things weren't good. Ayani didn't like the way things were heading yet she remained silent about her concerns, putting on a brave face for her son.

One advantage to Wash returning was that she did serve to cheer Lucas up. While he had pushed his disappointment to the back of his mind his head was filled with worry about the Rebels. He couldn't help feeling as though something bad was on the horizon. When he voiced these concerns they were brushed off.

"Don't be silly," Wash replied. "You've got your father and I here, two of the toughest soldiers in the military, no one is going to get past us." Lucas glanced around at the adults, seeing the identical reassuring looks on their faces and he trusted them. They believed that they would be safe and he believed them, after all,these were the three people that he trusted most in the world. They wouldn't let him down.


	10. Chapter 9

So technically I am nearly an hour late with this chapter but I gave myself an hour extension as a) the Grand Prix Freestyle dressage was on and I had to watch that which slowed down my writing b) I am so freaking tired which again slowed down my writing and c) this is a really important chapter and I didn't want to rush it too much. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, it makes my day to see your comments :) But anyway hopefully this chapter is worth me bending the rules, I think it's the longest one so far. I haven't failed, technically even though it's after midnight I haven't gone to be yet so it counts as the 9th even though it's the 10th now and let's face it it's still the 9th in most other places in the world. Okay I should stop rambling and go to bed. I ramble when I'm tired. I shall return with the next chapter sometime in the next 23 hours.

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**Chapter Nine**

**9 August 2138**

It was about two o'clock in the morning when it happened. Lucas lay awake in his bed, tossing and turning with worry. His parents and Wash had told him everything was alright and he believed them. He trusted them, they wouldn't lie to him. Yet he still couldn't help the worry that was gnawing at his stomach.

Lucas froze, he could hear the sound of voices. They were soft whispers, clearly not intended to wake him. As the voices got progressively louder it became apparent to Lucas that it was his parents and Wash who were talking. Not liking the sound of things, he got up and made his way out towards them. Ayani stopped talking the second she spotted Lucas, placing her hand on her husband's arm to get him to do the same. It was obvious that there was something that they didn't want Lucas to know.

"What's happening?" he asked seriously, taking in the identical poker faces that the trio wore. "Tell me." He knew they were hiding something from him and he didn't like being kept in the dark. He was old enough to hear whatever it was they were talking about.

Ayani and Taylor glanced at each other, having an unspoken conversation about whether or not they should tell Lucas and if so how much they should tell him. Wash stood slightly awkwardly to the side, knowing that it wasn't her place to interfere. Yet Lucas had chosen her as his target, hoping that his puppy dog eyes could win her over and allow him to hear what it was that they were keeping from him. When this method failed (Wash was trained to withstand torture, she wasn't going to break from Lucas's puppy dog eyes, no matter how adorable he looked) he turned to his parents, hoping that he could use the same tactic to win them over, although this time with better results.

"Please," he begged, wishing that they would treat him as an adult.

In the end Taylor gave in. He was always the one that would tell it like it was without fear of what it might do to Lucas's fragile mind. In contrast, Ayani tended to shelter Lucas, knowing that while he was maturing, he did tend to worry over things. She just wanted to keep him safe and happy.

"The Rebels are ten klicks out," Taylor responded gravely. "If we don't stop them they'll be here by the morning."

"Nathaniel!" Ayani hissed, she hadn't meant for him to be so blunt.

"I'm going out there," Taylor continued, being no more subtle than he had been before.

"No you can't," Lucas exclaimed, a desperate look in his eyes. All he wanted was for his family to be together and safe.

"It's alright," Wash reassured him. "I'll be there too. I will keep him safe."

"No!" Taylor and Lucas shouted at the same time.

"You're staying here as a last line of defence," Taylor continued. She was there for when he failed. It was obvious to all present. "I am going and you will stay here, and that's an order."

"Dad," Lucas begged, turning towards his father. "Please don't leave us." _I need you. _ The unsaid words hung in the air; it was obvious that he needed his father now more than ever. It was obvious to all in the room but Taylor.

"I have to go now," Taylor said bluntly, walking over to kiss his wife goodbye. It was passionate but short, both were aware of the dangers and that with each passing second the Rebels were getting closer and closer. The pair stood with their foreheads touching for a moment, saying their goodbyes and declarations of love.

"Dad," Lucas whimpered and Taylor moved to envelop him in a hug.

"I love you, son," Taylor spoke, holding Lucas close. "I'll be back real soon. I promise."

"I love you too, dad," Lucas replied with tears pricking at his eyes. Pulling away from his son Taylor walked over to the door, stopping to place his hand on Wash's shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"You keep my family safe," he told Wash, including her in that statement, Wash was considered family. They both knew that she was the only one that he would trust with this job.

"I will, sir," she replied seriously. With that Taylor walked out the door, leaving his family behind.

Lucas walked straight into his mother's waiting arms, allowing himself to be comforted by her embrace. Wash checked that her weapon was holstered before moving around to check that the windows and doors were securely locked. She was in charge now and she wasn't going to let anything happen to the Taylor family on her watch.

"You're not too old for your mother to tuck you into bed are you?" Ayani asked. Lucas shook his head in her arms, needing all the comfort that he could get.

Ayani led Lucas back into his room before doing as she had promised and tucking him in. Lucas didn't care that he was fourteen and was probably considered too old to be tucked in like a child. He cherished every moment that he spent with his mother. After kissing his forehead Ayani walked over to turn off the lights and leave the room, only to be stopped just as she was about to close the door.

"Wait," Lucas called in a small voice. "Stay with me, please." Ayani couldn't deny her son anything, especially when he looked so worried. So she walked back across the room and climbed into bed next to him. She knew he was scared, she wouldn't tell him but she was scared too. She never liked it when Taylor went away to fight. So she lay there, gently stroking her son's hair until he finally fell asleep.

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The next morning Lucas awoke alone. After a second of confusion the events of the previous night came back to him and worry once again filled his stomach. The clock said it was late in the morning, though you wouldn't have known. It was a dark and gloomy day; the sky was filled with grey clouds. Lucas couldn't help feeling that it represented the day to come.

He got up and made his way out to the lounge. Wash was sitting there alert and ready to act at a second's notice, despite her lack of sleep. Ayani was sitting across from her, her face full of worry which she hurriedly tried to disguise once she saw Lucas. Lucas went down and sat next to his mother without a word. They were all tense.

Normally at this time Ayani would be in the kitchen preparing lunch yet none of them were hungry. They were all too worried. In the end she decided that food was needed and got up to fix a light snack, hoping that the familiar routine would ease her worry. Yet the food remained untouched. Even Lucas who could eat at any given time didn't eat it. All three of them wanted to say something to cease the tension yet none of them knew that to say. So they waited, hoping that they would receive word from Taylor soon, ideally an all clear and the news that the Rebels had been defeated.

After Lucas had been waiting with his mother and Wash for about an hour, a knock sounded at the door. All three present immediately looked towards the door, not sure if it would be good news or bad news. The Rebels were hardly likely to knock if they turned up yet they couldn't be too careful. Wash brought a finger to her lips, warning the other two to be silent, before standing up and going to answer the door, weapon drawn and at the ready.

Moments later Wash returned with and envelope and the words "it's for you, kid". Lucas took the envelope with a murmur of thanks before glancing at it. It was addressed to him and contained the logo of the Phoenix University. This was it, the letter he had been waiting for, the one that would tell him if he had gotten the scholarship or not. While it wasn't enough to ease his mind it did provide a distraction. Lucas stood up, planning to open the letter in his room. It was quite possible that there would be tears and he would not cry in front of Wash. This letter contained the answer to his future after all, in a few moments' time he would find out if his dreams would be crushed or if he would have everything he had ever wanted. He was allowed to be emotional.

Lucas sat down at his desk, his fingers fumbling as he ripped open the envelope, hastily unfolding the letter and reading over the words, letting them sink in. Suddenly the house shook, causing him to look up from his letter. The sound of a gunshot could be heard. Lucas took this as his cue to run out into the lounge, stuffing his letter in his pocket as he did so. It was the least of his worries at that moment.

"What's happening?" he asked as he ran out into the lounge yet there was not time for an answer. There was a rhythmical banging and soon the door fell, causing all present to jump. Wash flew into action, moving to stand in the way of the four men that came through the open doorway. Before she could reach for her weapon she had four sonics pointed at her.

"Don't even think about it," said the first man. "Now let us through or we will shoot you." It was four against one, Wash had no chance of being able to draw her weapon without one of them shooting her first. She cursed herself for not having it in her hand. She just hoped that she would be able to delay them long enough for Lucas and Ayani to run, yet the trouble was they had nowhere to run.

The first man began to count down from three yet Wash stubbornly remained in their way, hoping to delay them for as long as possible. When he reached one he pulled the trigger of his sonic that was pointed at Wash's head, much to the horror of Lucas and Ayani. Lucas gasped in horror as his hero fell to the ground before him. His last spec of hope was gone and his Wash had fallen. She looked so helpless lying there on the ground. He wasn't even sure if she was alive. There was truly no hope now. They couldn't run, they couldn't hide; they were trapped and alone, both their protectors had failed them.

Lucas and Ayani tried to run yet there was nowhere to go, they were lost without Taylor and Wash, they had no hope of defeating the Rebels. Before they could recover from their shock the Rebels had already grabbed them and bound them and were dragging them out of the house. The Rebels were on a mission and were easily over powering everyone in their way. It all happened so fast, there was nothing that any of them could have done to stop the Rebels, they were powerless against them. Lucas and Ayani struggled of course, they weren't going to give in easily yet four strong men easily overpowered the mother and her child.

Ayani and Lucas were dragged out onto the streets while Wash was left lying on the ground, none of the Rebels caring if she was dead or alive. As Lucas and Ayani were forcibly pushed through the base they saw similar scenes all around them. The air was filled with death, destruction and violence. Lucas just wanted to close his eyes and wake up in his bed to find it was all a dream yet it was all too real, there was no escaping it.

As they turned the corner Lucas spotted the little girl. She was running through the streets and it was quite an achievement, she was one of the only civilians that wasn't currently tied up and being marched through the streets, with the majority of the soldiers having left the base they had had no way of defending themselves and walls and doors were only good for so long, they could always be broken through. Lucas watched the girl running, hoping that by some miracle she could escape. He saw her turn into the alleyway where her blanket fort was and he couldn't help the sadness that filled his heart. Here was a young girl, running to her play fort, trying to escape the trained killers that chased her. She was a speck of innocence in this whole scene of death and destruction. Yet Lucas had a feeling that like all of the innocent and good things in this place she would be captured or killed before long, he just hoped it wasn't the latter. The blanket walls of the fort wouldn't keep her safe for very long.

Soon Lucas and Ayani were pulled to a stop outside the base in front of some rovers. Since they had left the filtered confines of the base they were now outside in the pollution and as a result they were coughing severely, having no rebreathers on them. They were both pushed into the rover along with several other prisoners. Lucas wasn't sure what was happening but he knew it wasn't good. It had all happened so fast. He reached out, finding his mother's hand, receiving a reassuring squeeze. The last thing he remembered was everything suddenly seeming to be too much, he couldn't handle it anymore, and then everything faded to black.


	11. Chapter 10

Alright, finally this chapter is done. This one really didn't want to be written but in the end I triumphed, so take that chapter! This is why I shouldn't publish things in the middle of the night. I say ridiculous this like this. Anyway thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I will be back tomorrow with another chapter. I hope you enjoy my incredibly mediocre chapter that was co-written by my cat (she kept walking across the keyboard).

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**Chapter Ten**

**10 August 2138**

When Lucas regained consciousness he wasn't quite sure when it was or where he was. A strong jolt as the rover passed over a bump suddenly brought it all back; his father leaving them, the waiting, the worry, Wash falling, the kidnapping, the death, the destruction, the identical looks of horror that everyone wore, the girl running, being pushed into the rover. Lucas looked around slowly, searching for his mother's familiar face. In that moment he needed her, possibly more than he ever had before. While he was looking for the happy, cheerful vision of beauty that was his mother, he instead found her face clouded with worry, looking as though she had aged years in the time that Lucas had been unconscious.

"Mom," he whimpered, his eyes pleading with her to help him. He was lost, scared and confused, the latter of which was a very unfamiliar emotion to Lucas. He wanted to ask his mother what was going to happen but he knew that she knew about as much of the Rebel's plans as he did. He needed her to tell him that everything would be alright yet he knew that she couldn't say that. Everything was uncertain and there were no guarantees that everyone would come out of this safe and unharmed.

Lucas glanced around the back of the rover, seeing that there were about half a dozen women and children squished in the back of the car. It sounded as though there were other rovers around them, a convoy of sorts. Lucas wondered how many other had suffered the same fate as him.

Lucas still wasn't quite sure exactly what had happened. It was clear that his father and the other soldiers had failed, that much was obvious, yet Lucas didn't know what had happened. He wasn't even sure if his father was still alive. He hastily pushed that thought to the back of his head; he wasn't going to think about that now. His father was alive, he was sure of it. He wasn't so sure about Wash though, he had never seen her so powerless before. But his father would be back to rescue them soon, he wouldn't just leave them there, he couldn't.

It wasn't long before the rover came to a stop, though if Lucas had to guess he would have estimated that they had been travelling for several hours. Though he had no idea how long he had been unconscious for his legs had that feeling that could only be achieved from sitting squished in the back of a rover for several hours. The sky wasn't much help either but Lucas could guess that it was some time very late in the night.

Once the rover came to a stop the prisoners were dragged out and herded into a great big group, almost like they were a flock of sheep. As Lucas glanced around he saw that there had to be a hundred or so people who had been captured just like him. It was terrifying to see all of the scared people. They all looked so afraid and helpless, much like Lucas felt. Yet there was hope, hope that they could band together, hope that they would be rescued and above all hope that they would survive.

The Rebels were yelling orders at each other yet it was all a blur to Lucas, almost as if they were talking in a different language, perhaps they were. The sounds and sights were all blending together. Nothing was clear anymore. He vaguely registered reaching for his mother's hand as best he could with his hands that were still currently tied together. He held on to her hand as he was jostled by the crowd as they all moved around in fear. Then they moved again and were led towards the entrance of a large building. They weren't sure what was in there but they were pretty sure that whatever it was they wouldn't like it.

There was a moment when one girl, who appeared to be in her mid twenties, saw her escape route and took it. All it took was one guard to turn away and she had her freedom, yet it was short lived. All it took was one bullet to stop her in her tracks and send her body falling to the ground where she spent her last few moments of live. This turn of events sent a series of screams through the group of prisoners. They were all shocked and horrified by what had just happened. It was clear that the kidnappers were serious.

A man who appeared to be the leader of the Rebels stepped forwards to address the crowd, causing a silence to fall over the scared prisoners.

"You are our prisoners now," he called out to the masses of kidnapped victims that stood huddled together. "If you try to run we will shoot you. If you try to escape we will shoot you. If you resist in any way we will shoot you." A collective murmur of horror and a few screams sounded through the crowd as they took in this latest information before they were stopped as the leader spoke again.

"SILENCE!" he yelled before turning to his fellow men. "Take them away."

At his command the prisoners were herded into the building and down the hall ways towards the basement where there was a large cell. The prisoners were sent into the cell and were given no chance to escape. They had all heard the leader's warning. It was best to do as they said and hope that help would come soon. Lucas stayed close to his mother, not wanting to venture too far away and get lost in the mass of people, or worse run into one of the soldiers. Lucas and Ayani were happy to stay as far away from them as possible.

They prisoners were a lot more subdued now after seeing what had happened to the woman that tried to escape. They were all shocked and terrified and had no idea what to do. They were granted a small mercy as the soldiers came around and cut the ties that bound their wrists. It wasn't like they could run anywhere now. They were all trapped inside a cell inside a building that was swarming with armed guards. They had seen what happened to those who tried to escape and now none were willing to try.

The prisoners seemed to visibly relax once the guards left the cell yet they were all still on edge. They knew that the guards were just outside. The noise level gradually rose as all those present checked on their loved ones and discussed the previous events and what little chance they might have of escaping.

"Dad will come for us, right?" Lucas asked, looking up at his mother desperately. His father was his only hope.

"He'll be here sweetie, I promise," Ayani replied, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Lucas. Ayani brought Lucas into her arms, letting her embrace soothe both of them. She knew that as long as they had each other they could get through this. She just hoped that Taylor would come for them soon. After all, he was their only chance of getting out of there alive.


	12. Chapter 11

So here we are, chapter eleven. I am now halfway through this story. You might not have guessed it already but there will be 21 chapters, one for each of the 21 days and then I will end with an epilogue. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, your reviews mean the world to me. Hopefully this chapter makes sense and is moderately acceptable. That's really the best I can hope for right now. I have been struggling with this chapter for the last 7 and a half hours while suffering from a really bad migraine and dizziness. I nearly passed out at one point. But I haven't failed my challenge and that it what is important. Alright I'm going to go and pass out now so that I can hopefully have enough energy for tomorrow's chapter.

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**Chapter Eleven **

**11 August 2138**

That night was one of the longest of Lucas's life. Though he was exhausted, he didn't sleep at all. He lay there all night in his mother's arms, waiting for his father to come and save them, yet he never did. There was crying all throughout the night; children crying for their parents, parents crying for their children, people crying for the people who were stuck in the cell and for those who hadn't made it at all. The entire room was filled with sadness. Even Ayani shed a silent tear. Yet Lucas didn't cry at all, he was still in shock and waiting for his father to turn up any minute.

By the time morning dawned the prisoners were beginning to come to terms with what had happened. Lucas, on the other hand, couldn't be further from coming to terms with the situation. He was just waiting for his father to come and rescue them. It would happen. It had to, his father would come. It was the only way that they could get out of there. Without him they were trapped and almost certainly dead. Lucas knew that his father wouldn't let that happened. He would be there to save them.

People had begun to move around the room, overcoming their shock and fear to find out exactly who had been kidnapped and what had become of those who escaped. Lucas watched as the crowd dispersed, watching their faces as people embraced loved ones and learnt of the loss of others. Then through the crowd he saw her, the little girl. A part of him was thrilled that she survived, yet another part of him was sad that she had befallen the same fate as all the others who were trapped there. She had been a beacon of hope when she was running through the streets, defying all the odd and outrunning her kidnappers, yet here she was with the rest of them now, captured just like everyone else.

Murmuring an explanation and a promise to return soon to his mother, Lucas stood up and walked towards the girl. He felt a moment of fear run through him as he left his mother. This was the first time he had left her arms since arriving there. He wasn't quite sure why he was leaving her to go to this girl; all he knew was that he felt an almost compulsive need to check on her. He had to know that she was safe. As he approached her he saw that she was sitting next to a boy who looked to be a year or two older than Lucas himself.

"Hi," he said as he approached, wondering if she remembered him. The girl looked up and upon seeing Lucas a smile spread across her face.

"Hey," she replied as the boy next to her shifted uncomfortably next to her. "This is my big brother Matt," she continued, prompting both boys to greet each other with a simple "hello" before the girl spoke again. "And this is ... wait, I don't even know your name."

"Lucas," he replied. "My name is Lucas." The girl's grin increased as she stuck out her hand to shake his.

"My name's Skye Tate."

"Well hello, Skye," responded Lucas with a smile, the first since he had been kidnapped. It was strange that they were only just finding out each other's names. Though their meetings had been brief there had been many an opportunity to introduce themselves. Lucas supposed that this was part of the peculiarity of his friendship with this girl. They were friends, he could say that much for sure, and despite their age difference and the fact that they barely knew each other Lucas had to admit that he liked this girl. She was nice, the sort of young girl that more children should aspire to be like. Even though she was young she seemed to be living in a grown up's world, much like Lucas himself. She was almost like symbol of hope in this awful place.

"I just wanted to make sure that you are okay," he continued, feeling as though he should explain why he was there.

"Yeah," Skye answered as her face fell. "I'm alright." She didn't sound particularly convincing. He could see that she wasn't alright. She wasn't the same happy and innocent girl that he had met a few days earlier. While before she had only been telling stories of a time when the bad men would strike, she was now living it. It was clear that being held prisoner was taking its toll on her, it was taking its toll on everyone and they had only been incarcerated for less than a day. Lucas felt an overwhelming need to comfort her and reassure her.

"You don't have to worry," he said as he sat down next to her. "Because my dad is the best commander out there and he's going to save us all."

"Really?" Skye asked in a small voice.

"Yup," Lucas replied. "He is going to come really soon and save us. This is what he does, he saves people from impossible situations." A dark look appeared over Matt's face though it went unnoticed by the pair, he wasn't buying Lucas's story. Yet he remained silent, he wasn't going to say anything when it was clear that this story was cheering his sister up.

"How is he going to save us?" questioned Skye, looking as though she had cheered up a little with this new information and this new ray of hope. New was looking more like the old Skye that Lucas had first met.

"I'm not sure how he does it but he always does," Lucas responded eagerly, entering full on bragging mode. He loved to hear about his father's achievement and the only thing that he loved more than hearing them was telling them to people. His father was a hero and he wanted as many people as possible to know that. "He might come through the roof or he might go and shoot all the Rebels or he might even come busting through the walls. I'm not sure how he'll do it but he'll be here."

"Is he a super hero?" asked Skye, earning another less than cheerful look from Matt.

"Sort of," Lucas bragged. "He's almost like a super hero and a god all rolled into one. He can save people from anything. He'll get us out of here."

"Even Matt?" Skye asked nervously, concerned that she might have to leave her brother behind.

"Yeah, of course," replied Lucas. "He's going to rescue all of us." Skye seemed to cheer up a little more at Lucas's answer.

Skye loved her big brother very much. Even though he would say silly things and insult her blanket architecture, she still loved him more than anything else in the world, aside from her parents of course. He was always there for her when she needed him the most and she knew that he loved her too. Deep down, past all the teasing and sibling rivalry, he truly loved her and Skye knew it. She didn't know what she would do without him. He had helped her when the Rebels attacked, telling her to run for her life though she was soon caught. Then he was there for her as they were taken to the cell. Her mother was there too which both Tate children were grateful of, yet Skye still depended on her big brother a great deal. He had helped her a lot in getting through that first night in the cell. She was glad that he was there for her. She needed her big brother.

"My dad's a soldier too," Skye piped up. "Do you think that he will come and rescue us?"

"Maybe," Lucas answered. "My dad has lots of soldiers that help him and your dad might be one of them. But my dad will definitely come and save us. I'm sure of it."

"Your dad sounds amazing," Skye commented, in awe of this hero that Lucas described.

"He is, he's the most amazing man I've ever met," responded Lucas truthfully. He honestly believed that his father would come and save them. After all, that was what he did best.

Realising that he had been gone for longer than he intended and missing the comfort of his mother's embrace, Lucas bid farewell to Matt and Skye, promising to come back to see them soon. Skye was eager for more tales about Taylor and Lucas was eager to tell them to her.

"Who were you talking to?" Ayani asked when Lucas returned, having seen Lucas talking to the two Tate children.

"A friend," Lucas replied.

Ayani smiled at this news. It wasn't often that Lucas made new friends, it's wasn't one of the easiest things for him to do. It was strange that in the midst of all this disaster he should find a new friend. Ayani guessed that it had something to do with the power of humanity; they always seemed to band together in the face of adversity. She just hoped that they would be able to stick together until they could be rescued; it was their only chance of survival.


	13. Chapter 12

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I love hearing what you have to say. This chapter is a bit of a rambly filler chapter. Yes I just made the word rambly up ... I think. It has something to do with rambling. My brain isn't functioning so well right now due to the exhausting/sad day I have had, hence why this chapter is so awful. I have more exciting things that will happen soon. There is another big bombshell around the corner soon so if you bare with me through this travesty of a chapter you will get to the good stuff soon. I should have some bigger and more interesting chapters soon.

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**Chapter Twelve**

**12 August 2138**

Another night passed and Taylor had still not come to rescue them. Lucas hadn't given up hope though, he believed in his father and knew that he was coming to save them. Lucas wasn't the only one that thought that Taylor would come and save them. Ayani had hope too. While she didn't share Lucas's fantasy of Taylor riding to save them in a rover and shooting all the Rebels until they were saved, she did believe that he would rescue them. She knew her husband and knew that he wouldn't rest until they were found safe and sound.

They hadn't heard from their captors since they had first been brought into the cell which was both a blessing and a curse. They had seen the occasional soldier that would bring them food and water, just enough to keep them alive, but aside from that they had been left to themselves. The prisoners were glad that they didn't have to see their kidnappers, they were all terrified of what the Rebels would do to them, even when they would bring food the prisoners would cower and children would go running to their mothers. The Rebels appearing in the cell was not a good thing. Yet at the same time they were all eager to find out what would happen to them. They had just been thrown into the cell with no explanation. They had no idea if they were to survive or if they were to die. They were just left there with no clue as to what would happen.

Lucas looked across the room to see Skye sitting wrapped in her brothers arms as he comforted her. She looked up and met Lucas's eyes. Both shared a small smile at this. Both of them still had hope. They knew that Taylor would come and save them. It was almost like this thought was a glimmer of hope that they both shared. Simply looking at each other could remind them of this. They were holding onto the hope that it was only a matter of time before they would be rescued. They just had to hold out for a few more hours or a couple more days, they would be saved soon.

As Lucas sat there with his head leaning on his mother's shoulder he found himself thinking of Wash and wondering if she had survived. It had scared him to see her fall as she did. His strong and tough Wash who could take anything had fallen to the ground like a rag doll. She had been defenceless and powerless, and defeated all too easily. It was the weakest he had ever seen her look and Wash was by no means weak.

Lucas reached his hands into his pocked to stop the cold dungeon air that nipped at it. As he did so his hand brushed a piece of paper. Memories flooded his mind. The scholarship letter. Three days ago this had seemed like the most important thing in the word, now it was just a distant memory. It's strange how trauma exposes our priorities and makes everything else seem irrelevant.

Lucas unfolded the letter, reading over the words once again. They seemed as though they had been written a lifetime ago. He had forgotten all about it until his hand brushed the paper. His mother looked at him curiously, wondering what it was that had sparked a change in his attitude. It was like his hope had died.

"I got the scholarship," he spoke with a hint of sadness. For the first time a cloud of doubt arose in Lucas's mind. Here he was, accepted into the university of his dreams and he might not even make it there. He could be destined to die in this very room. What if his father never made it there? What if he died there and never had a chance to live out his dream? What if his father was already dead? What if there was no one coming for him?

"That's wonderful news," Ayani exclaimed as a large smile appeared on her face. They were trapped but a ray of hope had managed to find its way in. "I'm so proud of you." And she was. He was so close to living out his dream and she couldn't be happier for him or any prouder of him. She had been blessed with an amazing son. In that moment she decided that she would do whatever it took to make sure that Lucas got through this alive and made it to university. He was just at the beginning of the rest of his life.

"But what if..." Lucas began, starting to voice his concerns only to be cut off again by Ayani.

"You're going to make it," she promised as she brought Lucas into a hug. "I promise you that you are going to go to that university. You father will come and rescue us. I'm sure of it. You will make it out of here alive." It almost sounded as if she was saying the words for her benefit as much as for Lucas's. She had to hold onto the hope that her son would make it out of there alive. She would go crazy without it.

"But what about you?" Lucas asked in a small voice, asking the question that Ayani dreaded.

"He'll save us," she responded, hoping that she sounded convincing enough to satisfy him. She knew that to get through this she would need to stay positive, Lucas too, she just hoped that Taylor would save them soon. Each day was getting progressively worse and worse. Ayani knew that they weren't going to just sit there. The Rebels had brought them there for a reason and she had a feeling that they weren't going to like it.

"Yeah, he'll be here," Lucas replied, his hope now restored.

Ayani had heard Taylor speak of these people before and of the terrible deeds that they had done. They killed people in the most brutal way possible. They knew how to draw out the pain and make it last until you were begging them to kill you. Taylor had told her stories about these men late one night, they weren't people that you wanted to be kidnapped by. She had even seen some of the bodies of their victims, they were barely recognisable. It astounded her that they could behave this way to other human beings. It was almost like the emotions had been taken away from these people, or if they could only experience hate and vengeance. Yet Ayani kept this knowledge to herself, they needed to stay positive, the prisoners didn't need to be any more afraid than they already were. A room full of a hundred terrified prisoners wouldn't do anyone any good.

"So tell me more about this Phoenix University," Ayani spoke, hoping to distract Lucas from the horror that they were currently living. Lucas began to ramble on about the campus and the classes and the time rift. It was a subject that could amuse him for many hours and it did its job, distracting Lucas from the situation at hand.

Lucas continued talking, knowing that his mother was just trying to distract him. He had a lot to tell her and seeing as they had nothing better that they could be doing it was the perfect time to talk. After an hour or so of discussing the university Lucas fell silent. Suddenly it didn't seem as important as it once had. He would have given up that scholarship in a heartbeat if it meant that he and his mother could get out of there safely, but that wasn't an option. He felt sick to his stomach. He just wanted to get out of there. He wished that his father would hurry up and rescue them.


	14. Chapter 13

****I'm actually quite impressed with the fact that I managed to get this chapter done in time. I only started it a couple of hours ago. Last chapter got the most reviews I have gotten for any chapter so far which was very exciting. So keep up the reviewing. It makes me very happy to get reviews... wait I told myself that I wasn't going to beg for reviews with this story... oops. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. I can't wait to show you the next chapter (not that I've written it yet) but there will be a major surprise in it. Also I keep forgetting to say this but a big thanks to gypsie rosalie for helping me come up with the name for Skye's brother and for putting up with all my annoying questions. Actually while I'm on the subject of thanking her I will just say thanks for everything, particularly listening to my constant questioning and slight freak out over a certain message. Thank you very much my dear. Alright I should stop rambling. Enjoy.

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**Chapter Thirteen **

**13 August 2138**

It was the next day when they finally heard from their kidnappers. Lucas had managed to get some sleep but he was nowhere near being comfortable there. He longed to go back to the base, back home, back to his father. It was just when the prisoners were just starting to relax when the Rebels made contact. The prisoners hoped that if they sat there quietly they would be forgotten, or at least left alone, just until the soldiers came to rescue them.

The Rebels didn't come down to see the prisoners, for which many of the prisoners were glad. None of them wanted to be reminded of their captors, seeing them would only make the situation worse, it would become all the more real. Alone they were just trapped in a room, with the Rebels there they were captives. Instead the Rebels made contact over the loud speakers that were situated in every corner of the room.

"Attention prisoners," came a loud voice. It seemed as though the man who spoke was in the room with them, like he was surrounding them, like some sort of great demon or hell monster. It was enough to frighten many of the children and even some of the adults.

"We have made contact with your soldiers." A collective murmur ran through the crowd at this. So the soldiers weren't dead, or at least not all of them were. Many of them would admit to thinking that the soldiers were dead, how else would the Rebels have managed to break into the base and kidnap them? Though there weren't many that would share this thought, hope was still a very prominent emotion and not one that they wanted to douse. There was still hope left for them. There was still someone out there to save them.

An ominous silence fell across the room before the voice spoke again, this time to the soldiers. Unknown to the prisoners, the Rebels had managed to send a hologram message to the soldiers. They were also playing it over the speakers so that the prisoners could hear. It was the best way to create mass fear and panic.

"We have your women and children," the voice continued, addressing the soldiers this time. The prisoners waited anxiously, wondering what the purpose of this broadcast was.

"You have twenty-four hours to get here."

The sound of gasps and cries could be heard throughout the room. There was a time limit now, a deadline. Things weren't looking as hopeful as they were a few seconds earlier.

"If you don't arrive by then we will start torturing them," the voice continued harshly, causing the prisoners to become even more frightened.

"If you don't get here in the next forty-eight hours we will begin killing them."

The room was filled with screams at this latest revelation. Children began crying as they turned to their mothers for comfort. Even the younger children, who didn't completely understand why they were there, understood this.

They had been given a deadline and now a deed. The soldiers had been given an ultimatum. If they didn't save their families in time they would be tortured and killed. Their loved ones were the ones who would pay the price. There wasn't a soul in the room that didn't understand this and who wasn't frightened for their life. The next forty-eight hours would be crucial, the next twenty-four in particular. No one wanted to be tortured, or worse killed.

"Dad will make it, right?" Lucas asked his mother with a worried expression on her face.

Ayani wished that she could reassure him and promise that Taylor would make it to them in time and save them yet she knew that saying that would be lying. She couldn't promise that he would be there. She knew that twenty-four hours wasn't a very long time when you were trying to find your family and save them. She didn't even know if Taylor still had the men to save them, they could have been killed in battle before the Rebels broke into the base. There was still no guarantee that they would all make it out alive. Time was running out. Yet Ayani knew her husband and she knew that he would do his best to get there and save them. He wouldn't stop until he had them home safe and sound. He would do everything in his power to save them and bring them home.

"He'll make it," Lucas announced, sounding as though he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. He had faith in his father. Lucas knew that Taylor would save them.

Lucas looked over at Skye. It was a habit now. They would often glance at each other throughout the course of the day, that was when they weren't actually with each other. Lucas could see tears running down her cheeks. Her brother sat there comforting her yet she was still upset. The latest news had obviously frightened her, it had frightened them all. It saddened Lucas to see Skye this upset. He had become quite fond of her over the course of the past few days. He saw her as a little sister and she saw him as another big brother, even though she already had one.

It wasn't to be said that Matt didn't like Lucas; it was just that they just weren't the best of friends, not like Lucas and Skye. Even though it could have been assumed that Lucas would make friends with the other boy who happened to be around his age, he found himself becoming friendly with Skye. There was a tiny bit of jealously towards Lucas. The younger boy did seem to have a better track record of comforting Skye than Matt did recently, especially with his stories of his father and his heroic acts. But that didn't mean that Skye didn't love her brother. She did, she loved him very much. She still needed her biological big brother. He meant the world to her. She would be lost without him.

"Go to her," Ayani spoke, encouraging her son to comfort his younger friend. She was glad that Lucas had made a friend, even if she was only a child. Saying that, Lucas was still very much a child too.

Lucas stood up and walked past the groups of families that were situated around the room. There was sadness and fear everywhere; it was not a good environment. When he reached Skye he knelt down in front of her and gently pushed her chin up so that she was looking at him. Her face was streaked with tears and it was obvious that she was frightened and upset.

"Don't cry," Lucas comforted gently as he reached out to brush her hair away from her cheeks before reaching out to hold her hands loosely in a comforting and brotherly gesture. "It's okay. My father is going to come and he is going to rescue us all."

"Now where's the happy little Skye that we all know and love?" Lucas asked, prompting a smile to appear on Skye's face. Though they were in a horrible situation they had still managed to find time to smile. It wasn't all bad in there, Lucas and Skye had had some good times in there, although Lucas would have much rather had those good times back at the base.

"There she is," he said with a smile before standing up and promising to visit her later. Skye returned to Matt's arms. Though she was feeling a lot happier, she still needed a hug from her big brother.

As Lucas walked back he once again looked at the scene around him. The Rebels had caused so much pain and devastation and they hadn't even started the torturing yet. Lucas wasn't even sure why the war was going on. All he knew was that he had been dropped straight in the middle of it. It was political, he knew that much, but he didn't see what could warrant this sort of drastic action. Why were the Rebels so eager to kill just for their own personal gain? There wasn't even much to be gained from this heartless and cruel action, it wasn't like the civilians could fight back against the Rebels. They were caught up in something that they didn't even need to be involved in.

"Is Skye alright?" Ayani asked as Lucas sat back down next to her. She had met Skye a few times over the past few days and had grown to like her, she was a lovely child.

"I told her that dad is going to come and save us," he replied as he nodded. Ayani remained silent. She couldn't confirm nor deny this hope that Lucas held on to and so she chose to remain silent. There was nothing wrong with a little hope. There was nothing wrong with being optimistic. She would let the boy hold onto this hope, even if her hope was fading.

"She's a sweet girl isn't she," Ayani spoke, distracting herself from her thoughts. Once again Lucas nodded, yet he didn't reply. He was thinking about his father and his promise to Skye that Taylor would come and rescue them all. He truly believed that his father would come and save them. Lucas would make sure that he, his mother, Skye, Matt and Deborah would all make it out of there alive. That was his promise and he was going to stick to it. He just hoped that his father would hurry. Time was running out, there was already less than twenty-four hours. The clock was ticking.


	15. Chapter 14

So here we are at chapter fourteen, I can't believe it's been two weeks. It feels like just yesterday that I was starting this story and panicking because I hadn't prewritten ten or eleven chapters like I planned to. This chapter was written from eleven pm until two thirty am so I have no idea if it even makes any sense. Hopefully it does. This is a fairly important chapter. I have a oneshot planned that will come from the major thing that happens in this chapter. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I broke my review record again last chapter. Alright it's nearly three am and I need some sleep. I will be back with chapter fifteen soon. If anyone wants to leave me a review yelling at me and telling me that I need to write when I am actually awake that would be much appreciated because apparently yelling at myself doesn't work.

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**Chapter Fourteen**

**14 August 2138**

Twenty-four hours wasn't a very long time. It seemed to pass very quickly for the prisoners. They were fast approaching the eighteen hour mark and all of them wished for more time. None of them wanted to find out what methods of torture the Rebels had in store. They were known for being especially cruel and barbaric. The prisoners hadn't heard from their kidnappers since the previous day and were yet to hear from the soldiers. They just hoped that they would be rescued soon. The twenty-four hour deadline was fast approaching.

Lucas hadn't slept all night; instead he had spent the night waiting for his father to some and save him. Yet he never came, at least that was what Lucas thought until the room was lit up with a bright flash. He stood up as a crowd began to form around the light to see that a hologram of his father had appeared in the middle of the room. Of course it was his father, if there was one person who was going to lead a mission to rescue the families of the soldiers it would be his dad. Taylor would be able to rescue them was the glimpse of hope that the weary prisoners needed.

"Dad!" Lucas exclaimed as he ran to the middle of the room, yet his words were not heard, drowned out by the crowd. He tried to push through to get to the hologram of his father yet the crowd wouldn't budge. He felt his mother put a soothing hand on his shoulder, calming him down. She was eager to get to her husband yet at the same time she knew that pushing and shoving wasn't going to get them anywhere. Instead she stood and listened as Taylor cleared his throat.

"It's alright everyone," hologram Taylor spoke to the crowd. "We're coming to get you. Just sit tight and we will be there soon." A sigh of relief ran through the crowd, glad that there was someone out there working on getting them home safely, before Taylor spoke again.

"When the Rebels made contact with us we were able to latch onto the signal which is why I can talk to you now. We are working on tracking the signal and will be there as soon as possible."

An excited chorus of murmurs could be heard around the room as they discussed this new revelation. While they had previously been filled with dread and fading hope as their time ran out they now found their hope being restored. Lucas glanced down as he felt something tugging at his shirt. He saw Skye standing there, looking up at him with wide eyes. She looked so innocent staring up at him. She didn't deserve to be there, none of them did.

"Who's that?" she asked curiously in such a way that only a young child could. Once again she was turning to him for guidance, for help. She was looking to him for answers and for the first time since arriving in this hell hole Lucas could give them with without a doubt.

"That's my dad," Lucas replied proudly. "And he's going to save us all." Skye looked like all her Christmases had come at once. There was finally some realistic hope that they could get out of there.

"He's really coming?" Matt asked, hardly believing it. He had never been particularly sold on the idea that Taylor was coming to rescue them all. It seemed like it was the perfect little fairytale ending to a story. He just didn't buy it, but now it was looking more and more realistic. They might actually make it out of there.

"And when exactly are you going to get here?" called a particularly rude man from somewhere in the crowd. Despite the man's obvious lack of faith in him, Taylor took it all in his stride, replying as diplomatically as possible.

"We will get here as soon as we can," he responded, knowing that the man was just scared, hoping that his answer would satisfy him.

"We only have six hours until they start torturing us," the rude man continued. "Do you expect us to just sit here twiddling our thumbs while you casually mosey on over here?" Lucas was extremely tempted to go over and give this man a piece of his mind. No one spoke to his father like this and got away with it. Yet his mother's firm grasp on his shoulder kept him in place, almost as if she knew what he was planning to do.

"We are working as fast as we can," Taylor replied in a professional tone. He swallowed before glancing around the room, his expression significantly more worrisome. The business was over, now was the time to find out what it was that he really wanted to know.

"Are my wife and son here?" he asked, fearing that the response would be negative.

"We're here, dad," Lucas called as the crowd parted to allow him and Ayani through. Taylor's face lit up when he saw that his family appeared to be unharmed. He had been extremely worried about them for the past few days and had been working all day and night to find a way to get them back. The crowd began to disband, giving the family some privacy, well as much privacy as could be found in a cell with a hundred or so people living there.

"Are you alright?" he asked, barely believing his eyes. While they both appeared to be unharmed, the five days of being held prisoner had not done them much good. They were covered in dirt and grime and their clothes were beginning to tear. Their living conditions really weren't that desirable.

"I'm fine, dad," Lucas piped up, excited to see his father for the first time in days. He just knew that his dad would be the hero and come in and save them all. He had never doubted him and he wasn't going to start now.

"Good to hear, son," replied Taylor. "You take good care of your mother until I can get there, okay."

"I will, I promise," responded Lucas seriously as he reached out to take his mother's hand, showing that he would do what it took to look after her. His father was giving him a responsibility and Lucas wasn't going to shy away from it, not that he would ever have dreamed of not looking after his mother, she meant the world to him.

"I'm fine too," Ayani responded with a smile, glad to see her husband safe and sound. She knew that he was a phenomenal soldier yet she always worried when he went off to fight and there had been a small part of her that had questioned whether he had made it out alive or not.

"I'm glad," Taylor said as his face lit up at seeing his wife and son safe and unharmed, even if they were still held prisoner. "And what about..." Taylor trailed off as he glanced down at Ayani's stomach. Lucas's eyes followed his father's with a questioning gaze.

"She's fine too," Ayani responded as she moved her hand to let it gently rest on her stomach. Shock filled Lucas's face as all the pieces seemed to all fall into place. She was pregnant, it was the only explanation.

"She? You're not..." he gasped, only for Ayani to nod in response. "Why didn't you tell me?" This last question was directed at his father. Even though the responsibility was on both of his parents to tell him, Lucas felt that his father had had more to do with this than his mother. Ayani would have wanted to tell him right away, surely it was Taylor that suggested they not tell Lucas.

"We were planning on telling you," Ayani replied softly, only to have Lucas rip his hand out of her grasp. "We just wanted to sit down and tell you as a family."

"We were just waiting for the right time," Taylor supplied.

"Don't," Lucas shouted, perhaps a little more forcefully than he had intended. He felt betrayed by both of his parents. "Just stop lying to me."

"Lucas... I..." As Taylor spoke the hologram seemed to begin to fade in and out, cutting out half of his words. Lucas had no idea what his father was trying to say. Then with a small fizzle, hologram Taylor disappeared.

"Dad!" Lucas yelled, instantly regretting his words. He was worried now. He wasn't sure why his father had disappeared so suddenly it didn't look like it was a good sign.

"Come on, sweetie," Ayani said, attempting to comfort Lucas with a hand on his shoulder, only to have him pull away. He was just so hurt. He couldn't believe that his parents had withheld this information from him. Didn't he deserve to know that he was going to be a big brother?

Lucas walked away from him mother rather childishly. He just didn't think he could face her right then. He knew that he would probably end up saying something that he would regret. He still loved her and didn't want to hurt her but he was upset. Without thinking about it Lucas ended up over in the part of the room that Skye and her family called home. Skye was sitting alone on the floor. Lucas sat down next to her, glad to have the company of someone who hadn't betrayed him.

"They're having a baby," he said as he sat down, half in a daze. "I'm going to have a sister."

"That's good, right?" Skye asked, sounding childish yet at the same time older and more mature than she actually was.

"I guess," Lucas replied, not sounding entirely convincing. "I just kind of had it sprung on me. I don't know if it's good or not. I'm still trying to take it all in. Why didn't they tell me? I'm going to be a big brother. How am I supposed to deal with that? They could have at least told me." He was ranting but sharing his feelings out loud was helping a lot.

"Maybe they tried to or they were just waiting for the right time," Skye suggested, sounding wise beyond her years. "And don't worry about being a brother. You've been such a good big brother to me these past few days. Your baby sister is going to be lucky to have you." Skye reached out to Lucas, pulling him in for a hug. They sat there in each other's arms, rocking gently from side to side, both taking comfort from the embrace.

"Thanks," Lucas replied, having cheered up considerably thanks to Skye. Skye gaze him a big smile as they broke away. Even in the midst of fear and horror they were still able to find comfort. They had both matured considerably over the past few days and had grown a lot closer.

"I should get back," he said reluctantly as he stood up. Lucas knew that he had to return to his mother. He knew he had hurt her feelings when he stormed off but he had just been so shocked and betrayed.

"So, I'm going to have a sister," Lucas said as he sat down, hoping that Ayani could see the white flag in his words and understand that there was an apology woven in there alongside it, even though no words of sorry were spoken. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

"We were thinking of calling her Sophie, what do you think?" Ayani asked, recognising Lucas's apology and sending out an olive branch of her own.

"Sophie, I like that name," he responded, feeling much better now than he previously had.

"We were planning on telling you," Ayani promised. "We just haven't had much family time and we wanted to tell you at the right time."

"I know," Lucas answered. He really did understand. The shock of it all had just gotten the better of him and led him to say some things that he now regretted. "I'm going to be the best big brother she could ever have." Ayani smiled, glad that her son had warmed to the idea of having a sister. She had wanted to tell him for some time but had struggled to find the right moment. She had been scared that he wouldn't react favourably and her fears were confirmed when he had gone stomping off. Yet it seemed that everything was working itself out now. She knew that Lucas was right when he said that he would be the best big brother that Sophie could ever have.

* * *

It was later that day when the next big event happened. The door to the cell opened and a dozen men walked in, sending the room went into a mild panic. Children ran to their mothers, women were shrinking back against the wall and Lucas reached out to clutch his mother's hand. One of the men began to read from a list that he had on a plex. They were names he was reading, a list of people. As the names were read the other men walked around the room, using a handheld scanner to identify the people on the list before they were herded into a small group in the corner.

"Your twenty-four hours is up," announced one of the men. "We will now begin the torturing. In another twenty-four hours we will begin killing." Screams of horror rang out through the room. They were all reminded of the reality of the situation. While this information wasn't new, it seemed to be a lot more real than it had seemed the day before. The families of the people from the list cried the loudest, scared for what would happen to their loved ones. The people who had been chosen to be tortured looked terrified as they stood by the door. They had no way of escaping. The Rebels controlled their every move.

Lucas attempted to stop himself from thinking about what would happen to those innocent people. He was just glad that neither his name nor his mother's name had been called. He didn't know what he would do if it was her up there getting tortured. Skye and her family were safe too and for that Lucas was glad. They were all safe, for now.


	16. Chapter 15

****Yes it's 2.30 in the morning again. Yes I only just finished this seconds ago. Yes I know I said that I would write this at a decent hour. Once again I am completely exhausted (but this time I'm also really hungry. I think that a midnight snack or perhaps 2.30am snack is in order). This is just another filler chapter but hopefully it turned out alright. I have more exciting stuff planned for tomorrow. Once again I broke my review record for this story last chapter so that you so much to everyone who has reviewed, I will try to produce some decent chapters for you to read in the coming days. Alright it's time for Emi to go to sleep (have I mention that I often ramble and talk in third person when I'm tired?). Until tomorrow, my dear readers.

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**Chapter Fifteen**

**15 August 2138**

The people who had been chosen to be tortured returned to the cell looking battered and bruised. They sported many cuts and bruises all over their bodies. Although the injuries weren't enough to kill them, they were just enough to leave them in agony. Many of the prisoners rushed over to the tortured prisoners as they entered the cell, running towards their loved ones. With no medical supplies present, the tortured prisoners had no way of tending to their injuries and no way to get any relief from the pain, yet they were just glad to be alive.

While the prisoners were glad to have their loved ones back, it wasn't all good news. The Rebels began to read from their list again, saying the names of ten or so prisoners. There were cries throughout the room as those who were chosen were forced to leave their families. Lucas held his breath hoping that he wouldn't hear any Taylors or Tates called. He breathed a sigh of relief once the Rebels were finished, yet he knew that while he had been lucky this time and the first time, he might not be so lucky the next time.

Lucas fought back as shiver as he saw the evidence of the torture that the prisoners had suffered. The stench of blood spread across the room, caused by the many lacerations they had. Lucas moved closer to his mother, seeking out comfort but at the same time he was also protecting her. Yet she wasn't the only one he was protecting, he had a baby sister to look out for now. Admittedly she hadn't been born yet and so there wasn't much that Lucas could do to look after her but he was going to be a great big brother and he was going to start now. He had warmed to the idea of having a sister, yet he was still upset with his father, he was sure that it had been his idea to keep this news a secret. Though this wasn't a big concern for him at the moment, he knew that this wasn't the time to be worrying about being left out of the loop, not when the forty-eight hour deadline was fast approaching.

"Dad will make it in time, right?" Lucas asked for the dozenth time.

"He'll do his best," Ayani replied, knowing that this was the best answer she could give Lucas without lying. Lucas nodded, he was used to her answer by now but he just wished that his father would hurry. It was already day six and he wanted nothing more than to go home. Taylor was supposed to be there. He should have been there to save them. That was what he did, he would swoop in and save everyone, or at least that's what Lucas though. For the first time he was having the face the reality that his father might now be as perfect as he had once though.

"I think there's someone who wants your attention," Ayani said with a hint of a smile, breaking Lucas out of his reverie. Lucas looked up to see Skye frantically gesturing at him to come over to her. Lucas did as she wished and stood up before making his way over to her.

"Hi, big brother," Skye said as he sat down next to her.

"Hi, little sister. What's up?" he replied. He noticed that she was remarkably cheerful, yet that was one of the things that he liked about her, she always seemed to be smiling.

"Do you want to build another fort with me?" Skye asked as she gestured towards a pile of blankets that they had mercifully been given. While the intended use of the blankets wasn't to build forts, since it was the day time they weren't in use and could be used to build all sorts of things.

Lucas thought about it for a moment. Sure he was probably considered too old to be building forts with a child and they were in a grave situation, the seconds were swiftly ticking away. Soon the forty-eight hours would be up. But as Lucas thought about it he realised that that was exactly why he should say yes. While he was very aware of the dangers of the situation and the fact that it was a possibility that not all of them would make it out alive, he also knew that this was the time to live and in that moment he defined living as building a blanket fort with his new friend.

"Alright," he replied as a smile crept on to his face.

"Great, now we just need to convince my brother," Skye replied enthusiastically as she grabbed Lucas's hand and pulled him up – although technically she wasn't much help in actually physically pulling Lucas up due to her small size and lack of strength. Together they made their way over to where Matt was sitting next to his mother.

"No," he replied grumpily when he saw them as if he already knew what they were going to ask. Skye had been pestering him all morning to join her in creating another blanket masterpiece yet he didn't see the point. They were in a terrible situation and he didn't see how making a cubby house was going to help them.

"Please," Skye begged, giving him her best puppy eyes.

"Go on," Deb encouraged as she gave her son a gentle push. Reluctantly agreeing, knowing that he wasn't going to win this one, he stood up and followed Skye over to where she had the blankets sitting next to a collection of crates.

Together they set about building the fort. Skye went about the whole thing with infectious enthusiasm. Lucas actually found himself smiling and enjoying himself. Even Matt cracked the odd smile. It was strange for Lucas. It seemed like it was months ago that he had first met Skye and helped her to finish off her other fort yet in reality it was little over a week ago. Time had passed quite fast, too fast for Lucas's liking. He found himself wishing for the hundredth or so time in the past few days that his father would hurry up. Time was running out.

"Finished!" Skye exclaimed proudly. While Lucas and Matt had helped, Skye had done most of the work. She had a vision of what her masterpiece would look like and wasn't afraid to tell the boys when they were doing it wrong which was the majority of the time. Following this Lucas and Matt had mainly just helped out with the bits that Skye couldn't reach, she couldn't tell them off for that.

Lucas and Matt both voiced their opinions on the fort, saying how impressed they were, sharing a small smile as they did so. Skye was just so excited about her latest creation. It is amazing how children can be fascinated by the smallest things. Skye grabbed Lucas and Matt's hands and pulled them both towards the entrance to the fort, insisting that they needed to go inside it. The boys went inside the fort while Skye ran off, muttering some excuse and that she would be back.

"How do you handle being a big brother?" Lucas asked as they sat there. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he would have a sister soon. His mother wasn't showing yet but he knew that the time would just fly by and soon he would be a big brother.

"You get used to it," Matt replied thoughtfully. "You'll be great though. You're already like another brother to Skye. She adores you."

"She idolises you," Lucas responded. "You should hear her talking about you." Both boys shared a small chuckle at this. One of Skye's favourite subjects was her brother. While Lucas could go on for hours talking about his father and his super-hero-like ways, Skye could do the same about her brother.

This was one of the longest conversations that Matt and Lucas had had. Things had always been a little awkward between them but now they found that they were bonding. Lucas found himself enjoying Matt's company. Soon after Skye returned and sat down right in between them, grinning at them like there was nowhere else on earth she would rather be. Together they were safe in their little fort, nothing could harm them there. While the blanket walls didn't do much to protect them physically, it was almost like they had built a little safe haven. Lucas now understood why Skye had wanted to do this. For the first time in days he felt safe.

Suddenly the sound of the cell door opening could be heard. The trio immediately jumped up and crawled out of the fort to see what was happening. The second group of tortured prisoners were back, looking, if possible, worse than the first group. Lucas, Matt and Skye saw their mothers together not far away and walked over to join them nervously.

"Your forty-eight hours is up and you soldiers have still not come to claim you," called one of the Rebels. "Now we will begin killing. If we are feeling nice we might spare a few of you." The sound of cries and screams could be heard throughout the room. This was not what they had wanted to happen. Lucas couldn't believe that his father had failed; he should have rescued them already.

The man began to read from another list, just as he had the previous two times, yet this time it was different. They all knew that it was quite likely that these people wouldn't be returning. Lucas clutched his mother's hand, hoping that they would be luckily once more. He just needed more time, his father would turn up soon, he had to. Lucas felt a small hand reaching out for his spare hand, he looked down at Skye as she intertwined her fingers with his, needing all the comfort she could get. She was terrified.

Soon the list was finished and the Rebels left them with a promise to return in another six hours. Lucas was able to breathe easy again. They had made it. Now he just had to hope that his father would turn up in time to save them before the next deadline. It was almost like it was a game to the Rebels; deadlines, threats and taunting messages. It made Lucas sick to his stomach.

Unlike the previous people who had been tortured far away, group three was taken to a room above the cell. The roof was thin, only a layer of floorboards separated the prisoners and those who were being tortured to death. Their screams rang out across the room, terrifying the other prisoners. It was a sad day for all involved. Time was running out and there was nothing that they could do. They all knew that it could very easily be them up there next.

The screams seemed to last for hours. Lucas wasn't sure how one could be tortured for so long, surely the human body couldn't take that much pain. Finally the screams subsided, though it was no consolation for the prisoners, they knew what had happened. Lucas watched in horror as blood dripped down through a small crack in the poorly built roof, forming a small pile next to him, almost as if it was trying to remind him of what had just occurred and what would occur if they weren't rescued soon. He stared at it with a look of terror on his face. Those people had been brutally murdered mere metres above him. This wasn't something that he would ever forget. It was the sort of event that would leave him traumatised forever. _Hurry up, dad _he thought as he huddled closer to this mother. Who knew when it would be their turn. They might not be so lucky next time.


	17. Chapter 16

Guess what time it is? Is you guess 2am then you would be correct. Once again I have spent the entire day procrastinating and am now paying the price. Although technically I wasn't really procrastinating because I was working on a Mella fanvideo which was a productive thing to be doing. But the point is I should have been writing and I wasn't. Anyway here is chapter 16. I don't even know if it makes sense and I'm sure that I will have a lovely time rereading it in the morning to find out if it does. Can someone please come and yell at me to force me to write at a sensible hour of the day. I very nearly failed today.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I always love hearing your comments and I would like to especially thank those of you who have been reading and reviewing these awful chapters that have been thrown together in the early hours of the morning. I know it's not my best work and I will try to get some decent chapters written soon.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

**16 August 2138**

It was a long night for the prisoners and was not without misadventure. As promised, the Rebels returned six hours after the mass slaughter of group three. It was all business as they read out the list of people who were unfortunate enough to be chosen for group four. Lucas held his breath as the list was read out, only releasing it when the Rebels finished and he was sure that neither he nor his mother had been called.

The waiting was awful. No one knew if these prisoners were going to be tortured or killed or both. The prisoners longed for their friends to return but at the same time they didn't dare to hope too much, they knew that the chances of group four returning were pretty slim. Time was moving swiftly and there had still been no sign of Taylor coming to rescue them since he had contacted them two days ago. Lucas just hoped that he could be lucky and hold on until his father turned up.

Later that night, to the surprise of many of the prisoners, group four returned. Well the majority of group four returned. They came bearing stories of three of them who had not made it and had been unable to survive the torture. The stories were gruesome and enough to give even the toughest of grown men nightmares. Then came group five. Another list was read and another ten were chosen. Lucas knew that he couldn't keep being lucky forever, if he was there for long enough either he or his mother would get chosen. If they didn't get rescued soon their numbers would continue to drop and the chance of being chosen would increase. There were about eighty or ninety of them left but if they kept killing ten at a time there wouldn't be many of them left.

Lucas stayed awake all night, waiting for his father and hoping that he would make it in time. Lucas felt powerless. He knew that he should be doing something to keep his mother and his unborn sister safe yet there wasn't anything he could do. There wasn't any way of escaping, that was the first thing that the prisoners had checked when they were locked in the cell, and he couldn't fight the guards, they would easily over power him. Instead he just had to wait for his father to turn up which wasn't an easy task. It seemed like in stories the hero never seemed to take this long to swoop in and save everyone, yet Taylor had still not turned up. Lucas was sure that this couldn't be a good sign.

When the hologram of Taylor had appeared it had given Lucas hope and restored his faith in his father. If he could find a way to get a message to them surely he could find them and rescue them. Lucas just couldn't believe that it was taking this long. He knew that his father hadn't given up. Taylor would never give up on his family, yet he still hadn't arrived.

Unknown to Lucas, Taylor was working his hardest to find them. It was difficult to find them. The Rebels had done everything they could to cover their tracks. It was almost like it was a game to them. They taunted the soldiers with the threat of killing and torturing the prisoners, making it clear that it was their intention for the soldiers to find them, but then they hid themselves incredibly well. They were using all sorts of complicated technology to make it as difficult as possible for the soldiers to find them. They had their motives, that was obvious, yet Lucas had no clue what their reasons were for doing this. To him the whole idea was barbaric and unnecessary. It seemed ridiculous that he and these other innocent prisoners had been dragged into this. They had nothing to do with it, many of them had no idea what it was even about, all they had wanted to do was live peacefully with their families, or at least as peacefully as one could live on a military base.

Hours passed and the screams of group five could be heard throughout the building yet it was still unclear if they would be returning or not. The screams began to die out and the prisoners began to wonder if they had survived or not. Soon after the door to the cell opened and six weary prisoners entered the room, the remainder of the ten that had originally been sent out as group five.

Lucas instinctively moved closer to his mother as the Rebels began to read out the list of group six. They had hacked into the computer systems back at the military base which was why they had so much information on the prisoners. Age, marital status, the names of family members, nothing was hidden from these men and they were using it to their advantage, using it to create as much terror as possible.

"Deborah Tate." Lucas felt his heart sink at hearing these words. He turned to see Skye burst into tears while Matt looked similarly upset. Even though Skye was young she still understood what was happening. He felt terrible for them, who knew if Deborah would return.

"Ayani Taylor." Lucas's heart seemed to stop as he heard the words that he had been dreading. It couldn't be, he had to be hearing it wrong, but the look of horror on Ayani's face told him that he was right.

Lucas clutched at his mother's waist, hoping that if he could hold on tight enough then she wouldn't be taken from him. If he could just hold onto her and never let her go then everything would be alright. One of the Rebels walked over to them, using his handheld scanner to check that Ayani was who he thought she was. It was crucial to get the right prisoners as part of their master plan, it wasn't just mindless killing, they had a plan.

"Let go or we will torture you too," the Rebel soldier ordered yet Lucas didn't let go. No one was going to take his mother from him. Yet Ayani knew that she couldn't let her son get tortured, he was safe for now, he had another chance and it was her time to go.

"I love you, sweetie," she whispered as she gently kissed his forehead, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"I love you too," Lucas managed to choke out, knowing that this could very well be the last time he said those words to his mother. He wasn't ready to let her go, he would never be ready. It was as though he couldn't physically force himself to release her from his arms. But while he couldn't force himself to let go, the Rebels could. The Rebel soldier grabbed Ayani harshly, ripping her from Lucas's arm, leading Lucas to call out to her as he sobbed. He was powerless. There was only one person who could get them out of that situation and that was his father, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

Lucas dropped to the ground as his mother was led off, sobs racking his body. This was it, his father had failed them. Lucas didn't know what he was going to do. Here he was, alone and waiting for a man to show who might never turn up. The whole situation was starting to look very bleak.

Lucas glanced up as he heard the sound of soft crying to see Skye and Matt standing near him, both upset about their mother being called into group six. Wordlessly Skye sat down next to Lucas with Matt sitting down beside her soon after. She reached out to grasp Lucas's hand while she lay her head on her brother's should. The trio sat huddled up together as they shared in the horrors of having their mothers taken away. They sat there crying as the screams began. While before the screams had all blended together, this time they seemed more distinct. Lucas heard a loud scream of pain, the voice was much too familiar, he knew that it had to be his mother. He felt fear fill his stomach at this. He knew that whatever they were doing to her couldn't be good. He had failed to look out for her and his father had failed to rescue them. The entire day had been a dismal failure and what Lucas would call a worst case scenario.

The time where Ayani was off being tortured was easily the worst few hours of Lucas's life so far. The time seemed to tick away slowly, each second seeming like an hour. Ayani's screams seemed to stand out to Lucas, seeming louder and more pained than the others, much like Deb's screams sounded to Matt and Skye. Lucas found that Skye had unknowingly turned towards him, burying her face in his chest to try and block out the sounds of the torture. Lucas had his arms around her, receiving as much comfort from her as he was giving in between. Matt also had his arms around Skye, protecting her like any big brother should.

It seemed like days passed while the trio sat there, waiting for the screams to end yet at the same time knowing that that could mean the end of their mothers. Lucas longed to be able to help his mother but knew that it was impossible. He was terrified of what would happen to her. He didn't think that he could face the prospect of a life without her; he would be lost without her. What was supposed to be a time for Lucas to spend with his family had fast turned into the worst experience of his life.

Finally the screams stopped and there was an eerie silence. They had no way of knowing if Deb and Ayani had both survived or not, they just had to wait. It seemed like an age passed before the door to the cell door finally opened. Lucas wanted to jump up and see if his mother was there among the Rebels but at the same time he was too afraid of the possibility that she might not be there. He knew that that was something that he wouldn't be able to handle. He chanced a glance up, knowing that he couldn't stand not knowing if she had survived. He spotted a dozen or so Rebels standing next to two children. So there had been some survivors. Lucas continued to scan the area, finding Deborah standing there looking bruised and shaken. He breathed a small sigh of relief for his friends yet continued to search for his mother, becoming more and more frantic with each passing second.

Then he spotted her, standing there with a few extra cuts and bruises and looking worse for wear but she was alive all the same. Lucas jumped up and ran across the room towards his mother, not caring that he was running straight towards the men that he feared so much. She opened her arms as he approached, welcoming him into an embrace. Lucas hugged her gently as tears of relief slid down his face, being careful not to hurt her or little unborn Sophie anymore that they had already been hurt. He stood there holding her as he was flooded with relief. Matt and Skye were a little way away doing the same thing, both glad that their mother had returned in one piece.

Lucas considered himself very lucky; they had all made it through the day in one piece. But it had been much too close for his liking. Taylor had to rescue them and fast. Lucas didn't think that he could take another day like this one.


	18. Chapter 17

So this is done and it's not even 2am yet! Well done Emi. It's quarter to two but that's beside the point. I might actually get some sleep tonight. This is another chapter that was written late at night but hopefully it has turned out okay. I think I have figured out why I have been struggling these past few days. I think it's because I've been suffering from writer's exhaustion (I have no idea if that is even a thing) but it's basically like writer's block but I know what I want to write I just don't have the energy to write it. But I'm nearly done, only 4 chapters and an epilogue to go and then I can relax (and by relax I mean write more fanfiction). I am definitely not giving up on this challenge. I have made it this far and I'm not stopping now. I am actually really proud of myself for making it this far (hence the rambling) but I never complete things like this because I am lazy and am also a champion procrastinator but I will complete this challenge.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and who has put up with my awful late night chapters.I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it was kind of sad for me to write. This is probably the most emotional I have been while writing this story. Tomorrow's chapter will be a difficult one to get done because I'm going out to watch the Bledisloe Cup (go All Blacks!) and so that will cut into my writing time. But I'll make it work. Okay I'm going to shut up now and go to bed, enjoy.

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**Chapter Seventeen **

**17 August 2138**

After Ayani and Deborah had been tortured and returned looking shaken and traumatised, Lucas and Matt had tended to their mothers as best they could, with Skye trying to help out wherever she could. Yet without proper medical supplies it was difficult. There were all sorts of things that could go wrong if the injuries remained untreated. Not only was Lucas worried about his mother, he was also worried about Sophie. He knew that Ayani being tortured couldn't be good for her and he just hoped that they would be rescued soon. It wasn't doing any of them any good sitting there.

The Rebels continued to return throughout the night, reading more and more names from their list and taking more and more prisoners off to be tortured. Sometimes they would return all the prisoners, although they were definitely worse for wear when they did return, sometimes some of the prisoners would return and sometimes none would return at all. They never knew what the case would be when they were called, it was all the luck of the game. That's what it was to the Rebels; a game. A game where they controlled who lived and died, where they were able to create as much pain, both physical and emotional, as they wanted to. It was almost like it was all for their own sick pleasure, but Lucas was sure that there had to be some reason that they were doing this. Surely no human in their right mind would cause this sort of pain for their own enjoyment. Lucas was starting to lose faith in humanity.

Not only was Lucas starting to lose faith in humanity, he was also starting to lose faith in his father. He still held onto the hope that Taylor would turn up and save them, but his belief in his father was waning. They had been trapped here for eight days and it still appeared as if Taylor was no closer to finding and rescuing them than he had been when he had sent them the hologram message. Lucas didn't want to lose hope in his father, the thought that Taylor would come and rescue him and his mother was all that was keeping him sane. So he didn't allow himself to lose faith, holding onto that last spec of hope, praying that his father would turn up soon.

The number of prisoners was swiftly diminishing. While they had started off with over a hundred, they were now down to forty or so, forty of the prisoners who were lucky enough to survive. Those that had survived knew that their chances of making it out of there were slim, the odds didn't look good. So far over sixty percent of the prisoners had died and the number was increasing by the hour. It seemed more and more likely that if you were chosen by the Rebels you would not be returning. Lucas was well aware of these statistics, they plagued his mind. He knew that he was incredibly lucky that he and his mother were both still alive, not to mention that Skye, Matt and their mother were all safe as well. The previous day had been a lucky escape and Lucas knew that the next time they might not be so lucky. He was just going to take it hour by hour.

It was early afternoon when the Rebels returned once more. The prisoners dreaded these visits, knowing that with each visit came more pain and death. As usual the Rebels began to read from their list as the prisoners all waited, hoping that they wouldn't hear their names or the names of their loved ones. It seemed that once again luck was not on Lucas's side, or perhaps it was just that the odds of getting chosen were increasing. Skye and Matt were among the prisoners chosen to be tortured. Lucas couldn't believe it, little Skye didn't deserve to be tortured, neither did Matt, neither did any of the prisoners there.

Lucas wasn't sure what to do. While he was glad that he and his mother were safe for another few hours, he was incredibly upset by the fact that Skye and Matt had both been chosen. He couldn't stand the thought of little Skye being tortured by the Rebels. He knew that they wouldn't go soft on her because of her age.

Both Skye and Matt knew the drill by that stage; you would make your way over to the Rebels or they would come and forcibly take you and the ones that were forcibly taken usually seemed to be the ones that didn't return. Deborah wept as her children hugged her, trying not to think about the fact that she might never see them again. This was the worst case scenario that could happen to her. As a mother she wanted to protect her children yet there was nothing that she could do. She had seen what happened when people resisted. Her best chance was to just hope that her children would return. They had to return.

Skye was terrified and understandably so. Yet as she pulled away from her mother there was a strange sense of maturity and courage. She was determined to face the Rebels head on and wasn't shying away from them. It was strange that one of the youngest prisoners was also the bravest. Skye stepped over towards Lucas, seeing that he had tears in his eyes. She was so innocent; she didn't deserve to be involved in all this.

"It'll be okay," she promised as she reached out to give Lucas's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm coming back, I promise. Then your dad is going to come and rescue us and we are going to get out of here." Her words were said with such force and determination that Lucas felt that he had to believe her. Here she was, half Lucas's age, yet she spoke with such wisdom and courage. Her innocence was wasted in this world of pain, torture and death.

Lucas nodded weakly, blinking back tears as she dropped his hand and walked over to her brother. Together Matt and Skye walked hand in hand towards the Rebels, Skye with her head held high, not willing to show the Rebels how scared she was, and with Matt trying to stay brave and take care of his sister. While this wasn't nearly as upsetting for Lucas as when his mother had been taken the previous day this did scare him a lot. He didn't know what he would do if Skye didn't return. He had grown very close to her over the past week or so and he was becoming friendlier with Matt by the day.

He watched as Matt, Skye and the other chosen prisoners were led out of the room, knowing that it was quite possible that he would never see them again. He couldn't believe the difference that Skye had made over the past week. She had started off as a child, just someone who he met by chance and who he happened to spend some time with. Then he met her again in the office and was once again struck by her innocence, yet at the same time she had the incredible ability of knowing exactly what was going on around her which was not something that too many children her age had. Then he had seen her running for her life and had a feeling that she wasn't going to just be a girl that he met a couple of time and never saw again. Then she had appeared in the cell and brought with her her innocent yet realistic view of the world and then Lucas knew that she was something special. They had spent time together and Lucas realised that there was a lot more to her than he had first thought. She had comforted him and received comfort in return. She seemed to know exactly what to do and say to make Lucas feel better. He wasn't quite sure what she was to him but all he knew was that she was special. He had been calling her his little sister and it seemed quite fitting due to her young age yet he was still confused. All he knew was that she was one special girl. He hoped that she would make it through this.

Minutes passed though you wouldn't know it with the way Lucas felt. Time seemed to drag on for him. It was almost as if the specifics of time had been changed. When there were prisoners being tortured, time seemed to stand still. Then when they were waiting for Taylor to turn up, hoping that he would arrive before a deadline, time seemed to pass at triple the pace.

Deborah wasn't handling her children being taken away very well, no mother would. Ayani sat with her, comforting her and looking after her. Like their children, the two women had grown closer over the course of their imprisonment, particularly so over the past day during and after their visit to the torture room. Lucas sat alone, trying not to listen to the screams, knowing that he didn't want to hear the sound of Skye in pain. She would return to him, she had promised that she would be back. She was a strong and stubborn girl, she could survive this. He knew that she would return from the torture stronger than ever. She had to, she didn't deserve to die.

After an hour or so, which felt like an entire day to Lucas, the Rebels returned. He nervously scanned the area behind them, searching for Skye, knowing that she had to be there. Finally he spotted her and breathed a sigh of relief at knowing that she was alive. Yet this wasn't the same Skye that had left. The Skye that had left had been brave and optimistic, walking with her head held high with confidence radiating from her. However the Skye that stood there now had tears running down her cheeks. While she looked relatively unscathed compared to some of the torture victims, it was obvious that she was not okay. She looked scared, lost and above all alone.

A strangled cry escaped from Deborah as realisation began to sink in. Her daughter had returned yet her son had not. Skye walked over to them numbly, almost as if she was in a trance. Deborah was crying onto Ayani's shoulder as the other woman supported her, letting her mourn her son. Skye looked so small as she made her way back across the room and she looked much younger than she had when she had left. Since Deborah was much too distraught over this new found knowledge, Skye found herself gravitating to Lucas, being held in his comforting embrace.

Lucas wasn't sure what to say; he didn't know how to make this better, he wasn't even sure if he could do that. So he held Skye as she cried silent tears. She didn't speak at all, something that was very much out of character for her. She had just watched her brother be brutally tortured to death right in front of her eyes, receiving similar pain herself, and now she was in complete shock. Her big brother, her rock, her protector was gone forever. She let the tears fall silently as Lucas held her, finding a small amount of comfort in the embrace of the boy who was like a brother to her.

Soon Deborah seemed to come to her sense a little, realising that while she had lost one child and was nowhere close to done with mourning him, she had another child who needed her. She walked over to where Skye stood still clutching Lucas tightly. She was glad that he had been there to comfort her daughter in her time of need, yet she was here now and she knew that Skye needed her mother. Lucas released Skye as Deborah reached down to pick her up, holding her close and letting her cry onto her shoulder.

Lucas watched the scene from where he stood off to the side, wishing that there had been some other way for this to turn out. He wished that they had been saved already, he wished that the Rebels had never started torturing them, he wished that they had never been kidnapped, he wished that the innocent people had never been taken to the base where they were put in so much danger and most of all he wished that his father would hurry up and rescue them. The situation was getting worse and worse by the hour. How many more would they have to lose before they were rescued?


	19. Chapter 18

So here it is, another badly written chapter that didn't get finished until 3am. In my defence I have had a very busy day. I wasn't home for most of the day and so I couldn't write and then in the evening I went to watch the Bledisloe Cup and didn't get back until after midnight. It was awesome the All Blacks beat the Wallabies and it was just brilliant. I also got on tv and the tv guy made fun of my nails after discussing calamari and chips with me. He was kind of mean. But whatever, tv.

Now it is quite possible that this chapter makes no sense because a considerable amount of it was typed while I had my eyes closed, I am just too tired to keep them open and too stubborn to allow myself to fail. There are probably dozens of mistakes in this chapter, I tried to edit but my eyes kept drifting closed and I am literally about to pass out.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I will be back tomorrow (technically later on today) with some more exciting stuff.

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**Chapter Eighteen**

**18 August 2138**

Another night passed and Taylor still hadn't come to rescue them. The chances of making it out of there were looking slimmer and slimmer by the day. While Taylor had been absent, the Rebels were not. They continued to come and take the prisoners away. More and more were dying by the hours and the chances of returning to the cell seemed slimmer than ever. The number of prisoners had dropped to about twenty, twenty lucky prisoners who were fortunate enough to have survived the torture. Yet none of them knew how many of them would get to leave the cell, the chances of any of them leaving were quite slim.

Skye had been completely different since she had come back from losing her brother and being tortured, and understandably so. It wasn't the sort of event that one would forget in a hurry; it was going to haunt her for the rest of her life. Lucas wished that there was something that he could do to make her feel better but he knew that nothing he could do would make up for losing her brother. He watched from afar as Skye spent the entire night and much of the morning crying for Matt in her mother's arms.

Lucas was beginning to think that his father wasn't turning up. It had been 9 days, surely if you were going to rescue someone you wouldn't take that long. Lucas just couldn't understand what it was that made it physically impossible for Taylor to reach them. He knew that his father had to find them but he had been working on tracking that signal for days, surely it couldn't take that long. Lucas began to wonder if his father was even trying anymore. Maybe he had given up. Had Taylor decided that saving his family was too much effort? Was he going to just leave them there to die? There was a time when Lucas would have known that the answer to both those questions was a firm no but now he wasn't so sure. Lucas and Ayani had just been left there for over a week now. Surely Taylor could have sent another hologram message, just to make sure that they were okay and to let them know that he hadn't given up and that he was coming to save them, that is, if he was even coming to save them. Lucas wasn't sure about anything anymore, which was a very strange concept for him.

Ayani watched her son sit on the cold cell floor. His eyes seemed to have lost the sparkle that they once had. It was clear that this experience had changed him. He seemed to have matured, though he was still very much a young fourteen year old boy. Maturity had always been a strange thing to attempt to judge when it came to Lucas. He was very mature for his age, having spent most of his time with people older than him, he understood concepts that even adults struggled to grasp yet he was still just a child. He was very dependent on his mother, despite the fact that he lived away from her for the majority of the year. He relied on her so much for comfort and protection. He wasn't sure what he would do without her.

The next time that the Rebels visited the prisoners it was around lunchtime and, as usual, the prisoners were less than happy to see them. These men brought pain and death with them, seeing them was not a good sign. The prisoners knew that there was about a fifty-fifty chance of being chosen this time, it was not looking good.

Lucas wasn't surprised when his name was called, the chances of him making it out of there without being tortured had always been pretty slime, but he was terrified, even more so when he heard his mother's name being read out as well. It pained him that she had been chosen to be tortured again, if there was a way that he could have saved her he would have. Yet at the same time he was sort of glad that she would be there with him. He was terrified and didn't like the thought of facing the Rebels alone. Yet if he had one wish it would have been that his mother would be safe through all of this.

Lucas looked back at the room, searching for Skye. He found her curled up next to her mother, tears staining her cheeks. Their eyes met for a moment and Lucas knew that this was it, this could be the last time he ever saw her. He wished for a chance to say a proper goodbye but knew that was not going to happen. The Rebels controlled their every move and were not keen and displays of affection. Lucas swallowed as he turned away from Skye, he hoped that she would make it out of there alive.

Ayani held Lucas's hand as they walked across the room, almost in a daze. There was no way of escaping this. Ayani was heartbroken that they had called Lucas's name. She wanted nothing more than for him to be safe and far away from the Rebels and their instruments of torture. Lucas had a bright future, one that could easily be ruined by the men that held them hostage. Ayani knew how much going to the Phoenix University meant to Lucas and she knew how much his future meant to him. Suddenly it was all in doubt. It was jeopardised. Lucas wasn't even sure if he was going to make it out of there alive. He was living each day hour by hour. If an hour passed and he and his mother were still alive then that was a good hour. For the first time in his life his future was pushed to the back of his mind. It saddened Ayani to know this. He had worked so hard and was capable of doing amazing things. In that moment Ayani knew that she would do whatever it took to get her son out of there so that he could make it to university. Even if Taylor couldn't save them she would make sure that Lucas made it out of there.

"Mom," Lucas whispered in a small voice as he looked up at her. "I'm scared." Ayani could see how true his words were and how much of a big deal it was for him to admit them. She squeezed his hand in reply, hoping that she could offer him at least a little bit of comfort.

Lucas didn't like to admit to being scared. To him being scared was the same as being weak; he had learnt that from his father. Commander Taylor wasn't weak and so Lucas refused to be weak. He had always wanted to be like his father, yet where was Taylor now? He wasn't saving his family, that was for sure. All of his life he had been known for making heroic rescues, saving people from the worst situations imaginable, yet here was this own family, kidnapped and about to be tortured, and he was nowhere to be seen.

Lucas and Ayani were led down a hallway and into a room. It had to be the most gruesome and barbaric room that Lucas had ever been in in his entire life. The room was filled with the stench of blood and death. The walls and floor were spattered with blood, there was even blood on the ceiling. Lucas wasn't sure what it sort of torture could lead to that sort of artistic display of blood and he wasn't keen on finding out, yet he was sure that it was more than likely that he would.

The door shut with a loud click once they were inside the room, trapping them in there with their kidnappers. There were about fifteen torturers and ten prisoners, more than one torturer per prisoner. Lucas had a feeling that they would all be receiving much more than their fair share of torture. There were all sorts of instruments of torture there, knives, gun, tasers, whips and many more. Lucas was not keen to find out what they could be used for. Then there was the camera. It sat in the corner of the room, watching them all. Lucas couldn't understand what sort of sick person would enjoy filming someone getting tortured.

Lucas's heart thudded in his chest as one of the men began to walk up and down the line of prisoners. He was analysing them, taking in their identical expressions of fear. He appeared to be enjoying this; it was all part on his elaborate plan of horror and torture. The man stopped when he reached the end of the line, appearing as though he was going to walk back down the line but instead he swiftly turned around to face the last prisoner, stabbing his knife in his gut as he did so. The prisoner grunted in pain, clutching his stomach as he doubled over and began to sink to the ground. The sound of screams could be heard throughout the room as the prisoners realised that it could be any one of them next.

The torture was random and unpredictable. The Rebels seemed to enjoy watching the prisoners stand there in constant fear. It took them a few minutes to get to Lucas but the waiting was almost as bad as the torture. He watched as they beat the other prisoners, knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before he would be in the place of the tortured prisoners.

Lucas's first injury came in the form of a punch to his jaw. In relation to some of the things that the Rebels had been doing it was rather soft yet it hurt all the same. This was followed by one of the Rebel's dragging their knife down Lucas's arm, sending a trickle of blood in its tracks. A second man joined in torturing Lucas soon after, bringing with him a taser and another knife.

As the minutes passed Lucas lost track of how many cuts he had received and how many times the men had struck him. Each new injury brought a fresh cry from Lucas as he attempted to deal with the pain. Tears ran down his face as he wondered what he had done to deserve this. Nothing that he had ever done warranted this sort of treatment. Lucas began to feel faint, he was losing a significant amount of blood and his body was not used to taking this kind of beating, yet the Rebels never stopped. Out of the corner of his eye Lucas saw two men move towards Ayani. He tried to call out, wanting to save his mother yet there was nothing that he could do.

Lucas and Ayani both had to agree that not being able to help your loved ones is one of the worst feelings that one could have. They both wanted to save each other and were willing to do anything to do so, yet the Rebels gave them no opportunities. They were truly powerless to do anything and it was the worst feeling in the world. Lucas began to feel everything drifting in and out of focus before everything faded to black. The last thing he saw was his mother arching her back and crying out in pain as a knife was thrust into her stomach.


	20. Chapter 19

So here we are, chapter nineteen. I set a new record. It is now 3.36am although saying that this is the longest chapter so far.

It's strange, this story has turned out very different to how I planned. It was originally supposed to be a way for me to get all of my August depression feels out but then I've found that I haven't really felt the need to do that, maybe the story is working. Then the story turned into a challenge where I am forcing myself to get a chapter posted everyday. I always planned to update every day but I wanted to prewrite most of this and then just post a chapter per day. I knew that that wasn't going to happen when it came to the first of August and I only had an unedited prologue and about 200 words of the first chapter.

I have two more chapters to write plus an epilogue and then I will be done. I am actually really disappointed with this chapter. It's not how I planned it but I have decided that I am going to keep pushing through until the end of the challenge and then after a little break I will come back and edit this and try to turn it into something decent.

Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on this and I will be back again with another chapter tomorrow.

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**Chapter Nineteen**

**19 August 2138**

"_There isn't a boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy" – The Ninth Doctor._

The torture continued throughout the night. Lucas drifted in and out of consciousness, wishing that it would all just end. He could vaguely make out his mother a couple of metres away from him. She was alive, just. He could see that she was breathing though it didn't look good. He shuddered as he thought about the knife and the damage that it had done. His thoughts drifted to Sophie before he tried to push them out of his mind. He had failed her as a big brother before she had even been born.

The sound of the door opening could be heard as a man walked in, yet Lucas was too busy trying to stay conscious. He tried to call out for his mother yet no sound came out. It was infuriating. He needed to know that she was still alive, that she was there for him. He needed to tell her that he was there for her. He needed to hear her voice.

The man that had just entered the room began to talk with the other Rebels in hushed tones, giving the prisoners a much needed break. They had been subjected to torture for several hours now and the ordeal was taking its toll on them. Lucas tried to sit up from where he was lying on the floor but the effort proved to be all too much for him. It hurt, it hurt a lot. The pain was overwhelming him. He just wanted it to stop and he didn't care how it happened, yet more than anything he wanted to make sure that his mother was still alive.

The next thing Lucas felt was a hand roughly grabbing his arm and dragging him to his feet. His vision swam as he stumbled, close to passing out from the pain. His eyes darted around frantically, searching for his mother. He needed to know that she was there with him. His heart raced as he searched for her. It was almost as if he was watching the scene from afar yet at the same time he had no idea what was going on. He had never been more afraid in his life. He was afraid for himself, he was afraid for his mother and he was afraid of what was going to happen to them both.

Lucas and the other prisoners were dragged out of the room and along a hallway. Lucas stumbled along, trying to keep walking. He didn't want to find out what the consequences for not doing as they said would be. After walking down the hallway the prisoners were pushed into a room. As Lucas glanced around the room he was sure that his eyes had to betraying him. There in front of him was his father and a dozen or so of his men. They were surrounded by around thirty Rebels and clearly outnumbered yet they didn't appear to be held captive.

This was it, the moment that Lucas had been waiting for for ten days. His father was finally here to save him yet it was all too late. This wasn't the hero style rescue that Lucas had been expecting. Lucas was barely able to stand up straight and Ayani was clutching her stomach, clearly in a lot of pain. Lucas wanted nothing more than to be able to help her. He looked over at his father, his eyes pleading with him to save them. Taylor was here yet he wasn't doing anything to help them. Couldn't he see that Ayani needed help? Lucas couldn't understand why his father wasn't helping them. He was just standing there with a cold look in his eyes, his face emotionless.

"Dad," Lucas managed to whimper, his voice barely audible, yet he knew that Taylor heard him. Still Taylor made no move to help them. Lucas just didn't know why his father was ignoring him like that. He didn't even appear to be concerned for his wife and son. Lucas was begging him, willing to do anything in return to get his mother out of there. He was so scared for her and he didn't know what he would do if anything happened to her.

Unknown to Lucas, Taylor had made a deal with the Rebels. After several days of tracking the signal and getting through the obstacles that the Rebels had set out to hinder them, Taylor and his men had finally made it. Once they arrived it became apparent that they had severely underestimated their opponents once again. After losing several men a cease fire was called and the leader of the Rebels commenced discussions with Taylor. There wasn't much that Taylor could do, it was clear that the Rebels had the upper hand. This wasn't a mission to defeat the Rebels anymore; this was a rescue mission to save whoever they could.

Taylor had been horrified when he had heard of the number of deaths that had occurred in the ten short days. The number was at one hundred and seven, a number much greater than Taylor and his men had expected. They had come to save over a hundred and were now faced with a much smaller number of prisoners to save. The negotiations were tough and Taylor didn't exactly come out on top yet in the end they came to an agreement. It wasn't one that Taylor liked yet it was the only option. He wasn't going to let them kill all of the prisoners.

"Ready to watch your people die?" The leader of the Rebels taunted as he walked towards Taylor.

"Beale," Taylor growled, addressing the man. "We had a deal."

"Yes, yes," Beale replied. "Don't worry. You can have your half. Would you like to pick first? Beale was taunting him, trying to provoke a reaction, yet Taylor remained emotionless.

Beale turned around to gesture to the men holding Lucas and Ayani, prompting them to push mother and son forwards. Lucas thought that he saw a flicked of emotion in his father's eyes but then it was gone. His eyes were cold and stony, showing no compassion or concern for his family which stood before him, beaten and battered.

"So who will you pick your wife or your son? It is time for us to do to you what you did to us." Beale continued, knowing exactly what his words would be doing to Taylor inside. He was flaunting the fact that he and his men had hacked the computer system and found all the information, knowing that this would drive Taylor crazy.

Suddenly it all seemed to click for Lucas; Taylor's half, having to pick between the two of them. Taylor had made a deal to save them, yet he could only save half of them and the soldiers were going to have to pick who. It wasn't fair. It was a horrible thing to do. Lucas couldn't believe that his father would agree to such a barbaric deal. It was that moment that Lucas realised that he and his mother weren't both going to make it out of there, only one of them would.

Lucas knew what he had to do. Ayani didn't deserve to die, she deserved to live. Lucas had never met anyone else in his life who enjoyed living as much as she did. She was the one that deserved to survive this. Besides, he didn't want to live in this world without her. He took a deep breath, minding the knife that was currently held to his throat. He looked over at his mother. He would do anything for her to walk out of there. She could return to the base, go to the infirmary and get her injuries treated. There was even a small chance that Sophie could be saved. He would do it for her, he would do it for them

An air of calm seemed to pass over Lucas after he made his decision. This was it, fourteen years and it was all going to be over. They would slit his throat and he would fall, leaving his mother to return home. It would be worth it, he would do anything to save her. While he had previously been terrified, he now felt a strange sense of tranquillity. It would all be over soon. His mother would be safe and he would be gone. The last ten days had been awful for him, the torture, watching the people go off and never return, seeing the affects that the traumatic experience had on people. He had learnt something over the last ten days; he now knew that there were some things that were worse than dying.

"You can kill me," Lucas announced bravely. "Just save my mother." He heard Ayani's shout of 'no' at his words and felt his captor pressing the knife against his throat. He felt fear travel through him at this but he knew that it would all be over soon. He had to be brave for his mother. It wouldn't be long now.

Ayani stood sobbing across from Lucas, clutching her stomach as she struggled to stand and crying over what Lucas had just said. She wasn't going to let him do it. From the moment that Lucas was born she knew that he was the most precious gift she could ever have. From that day on she had sworn to herself that she would do whatever she had to in order to protect him. As he grew she just became more certain on that fact. He was growing into an amazing boy and he was destined to do great things. He had his whole life in front of him. He was going to university, he would study the time fracture, she was sure of it, and he would grow into a truly wonderful man. She was sure of it.

"Nathaniel," she whispered softly, he words a plea to him. She was begging him to save their son. Taylor gazed back at her, his eyes showing a silent goodbye. He knew that as parents it was their job to protect their son. He had already offered him life in return for theirs but it had been turned down. Taylor could choose one to save or he could lose them both. It was all up to him.

"Lucas," Ayani continued, using all of her energy to turn towards him. "Promise me something. Promise me that you will keep going. Go to university go and live your life. Do it for me."

"No," Lucas gasped, unable to accept her decision to sacrifice herself. He turned towards his father before speaking again, hoping that he could reason with him. "Dad, save her. Please." He was begging now, desperate and willing to do whatever it took. "Please."

"I choose to save..." Taylor began before trailing off as he glanced over at Lucas and Ayani. Both wore pleading looks, begging him to save the other. "My son." A loud cry escaped from Lucas as he processed this information. His father had ignored his pleas and now Ayani was going to pay the price.

"Please, dad," he begged frantically. He had to do something to make him change him mind. He couldn't handle this and he had to do something. Yet he was powerless. It was all becoming too much for him to handle.

"Lucas," Ayani whispered weakly. "Promise me that you'll do what I said." It was her dying wish. Even though Lucas hadn't accepted his father's decision he couldn't deny his mother this request.

"I promise," he replied as tears ran down his cheeks.

"I love you," Ayani whispered. This statement was directed at Taylor too yet Lucas was the only one who replied to it.

"I love you too," he answered, watching as his mother cried. Taylor was the only one in the family not crying.

Then the Rebels turned their attention to Ayani. Lucas was released as three of the Rebels made their way over to Ayani. Taylor had expected his wife's death to be quick yet it appeared that her murderers had other plans. Together they began torturing her again, beating her within an inch of her life. There was blood everywhere from a multitude of stab wounds and the sounds of Ayani's pained screams filled the room. Lucas couldn't handle seeing her in this much pain, it was way too much for one little boy to handle. All he wanted was for his mother to stop screaming, to stop being in pain, to be safe, to be alive. While he had previously felt like he had been looking in on the scene he was not right in the moment and wanted nothing more than to be released from this painful reality.

Lucas tried to run forwards, trying to stop them from hurting his mother. He wasn't sure how he planned on doing it but he couldn't just stand there and watch. Yet he was stopped by a strong pair of hands that held his arms. He looked behind him to see his father standing there with a disapproving look on his face, warning Lucas not to try anything. There was no comfort there, his eyes were like ice, staring at Lucas warning him to behave. Lucas could see regret in his father's face. It was obvious that he was disappointed in him.

Lucas needed comfort as his mother was tortured in front of him. More than anything he needed his mother yet she wasn't able to be there for him. So instead he turned to his father. Yet it was almost as if Taylor wasn't there either. While he held Lucas's arms there was no comfort or fatherly love in that gesture. He was restraining Lucas, stopping him from running to his mother.

Finally after what seemed like hours to Lucas, the Rebels decided that they'd had enough fun with Ayani. There was no fight anymore, she was near dead. In one last swift movement one of the men drew his knife across her throat, causing one last strangled cry to come from her lips before they let her body drop limply to the ground. Lucas wanted to run to her, knowing that while she was dying she had seconds left. She wasn't gone yet. But Taylor's grip on him had tightened, preventing him from running to her.

Then she was gone. Lucas just knew it. Her eyes glazed over and her chest stilled. She was gone, dead and had been nothing that Lucas could have done to have stopped it. He had been powerless and forced to watch. The tears were falling swiftly now. It shouldn't be her lying there on the ground. Why was it his mother? She didn't deserve this. She was the sweetest and kindest woman that Lucas had ever met.

He turned towards his father, searching out a comforting hug yet none was found. Taylor still sported the disappointed and regretful look. He placed his hand on Lucas's should turning him firmly around despite Lucas's cries. He wasn't ready to leave his mother. He wanted her back. Yet that was never going to happen. Lucas was led from the room in a daze. He was finally allowed to leave after ten days of torture. He wasn't even sure where he was going. He was just following the motions, being led by his father.

Lucas was lost. He needed help and he needed comfort, in short, he needed a hug. Yet none of this could be found in his father who continued to sport his harsh expression. Lucas was led out of the building, seeing sunlight for the first time in days, yet it had never looked so disappointing to Lucas. It had lost its beauty.

Soon Lucas and Taylor reached one of the rovers where there were more soldiers and medical personnel waiting. Taylor pushed Lucas towards one of the nurses before turning around and walking off to gather his thoughts.

The nurse checked Lucas over tending to his cuts and bruises, yet it was all a blur to him. He was searching for his father and wanted nothing more than to feel his mother's comforting embrace. He wanted to run back into the building to find that it hadn't been real, that she hadn't really died and was lying in there waiting for him. He was lost, confused and in shock. He had lost one parent only to have the other run off immediately after. He needed his mother and he needed his father, yet neither of them were there.

More and more people were appearing from the building. Some were prisoners and some were soldiers. Though Lucas had spent the last ten days with these people, he didn't recognise any of them. They were all a blur to him, just a group of people. After an hour or so the last soldiers returned, bringing with them the last of the prisoners. The now free prisoners and soldiers loaded themselves into the rovers. While it had takes dozens and dozens of rover to cart the prisoners over there, the survivors fit into two. Luca was numb as he climbed into the vehicle, wondering where his father was, needing a comforting figure. He vaguely wondered if Skye had made it out, hoping that she had not had to face the things that he had. One thing was for sure, this was a day that Lucas would never forget. It would forever be imprinted in his brain as the worst experience of his life.


	21. Chapter 20

So here we are at chapter twenty. Only one more chapter and an epilogue to go. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. Your comments mean so much to me.

Now this chapter is another one that has been written late at night but it is only 2.30am which is definitely a lot earlier than the last few chapters were posted. Hopefully it turned out alright.

Also I forgot to mention in the last author's not that the leader of the Rebels who I named "Beale" is actually not a random name. He is actually named after a rugby player called Kurtley Beale (not that I think that he would do any of this stuff I am just borrowing him name). The reason I borrowed his name is that he plays for a team called *drum roll* The Rebels! It was too good an opportunity to miss so in my mind most of the Rebels are based on rugby player (although again, I don't actually think that any of said rugby players would do this sort of thing. Is that a good enough disclaimer? Please don't sue me).

In other news I have reached over 60 reviews for this story (yay!) and this chapter will push me over 40000 words which will make this the longest story I have written. It's kind of strange that the longest story I have ever written has only taken three weeks. Anyway I will be back again tomorrow with another chapter :)

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**Chapter Twenty**

**20 August 2138**

It was late that night when the rovers returned to the base. Lucas was still in shock as he climbed out of the car and was sent to the infirmary with the other prisoners. He sat there numbly as one of the nurses came to give him another check up, making sure that there were no other injuries. He could see what was going on around him yet he wasn't processing it. He was still trying to come to terms with what had happened there. To make things worse, Taylor was still absent.

Lucas sat there on the bed in the infirmary, staring off into space. He was surprised to find that the tears wouldn't come. He was past that point. Now he was just lost and numb, almost like a shell of the boy that was once there. He zoned out as the nurses attended to him and the other prisoners. He was just trying to take in everything that had happened. He couldn't believe that she was gone. His own mother had been tortured to death right in front of his eyes. It was real, it was all too real. The images of the horrific event flooded his mind. Yet at the same time he couldn't help feeling as though it wasn't the end, as though Ayani was going to walk into the room at any moment. But deep down he knew that she wasn't going to. She was gone.

Lucas knew that he would never see his mother again. She would not be there to see him, to hold him or to love him ever again. She was gone for good. Yet there was still a part of him that felt like some miracle might happen and she might return. But there was no chance of that happening. She was well and truly dead.

After Lucas had been sitting in the infirmary for several hours his father walked into the room. Taylor strode over to the nurses without acknowledging his son. Lucas sat there still in shock, hurt by his father's actions. Taylor talked with the nurses for several minutes while Lucas sat there alone. With one last nod to the nurses, Taylor walked back over towards Lucas, beckoning to him before walking towards the door. Lucas got down from the bed, taking his father's actions as permission to leave.

Taylor walked out of the infirmary and along the streets with Lucas hurrying along behind him, trying to keep up with his father's long strides. Taylor made no move to attempt to slow down or to wait for Lucas. Lucas was just following, almost as if he wasn't even there.

Soon they made it back home. Lucas should have been glad to be back there, he had had an exhausting ten days and needed some rest in a decent bed, yet it felt wrong. There was something missing and he knew exactly what it was, or technically _who _it was. As Lucas followed his father into the house he saw that the front door that the Rebels had smashed through was sitting propped up against the wall, reminding him of the kidnapping. He remembered the way that the Rebels had shot Wash. He wondered if she was alive. He had been so scared for her when he had seen her fall but now he couldn't help wondering why it was that she allowed them to be kidnapped. She was supposed to protect them and she failed. Then there was his father, he was supposed to be there for them and he had failed as well and now Ayani was dead.

As he entered the house he saw that it all appeared to be as he had left it. He glanced over to the coffee table and saw that the chess board was still set up from the game that he had played against his father and then his mother. It was exactly how he and Ayani had left it. Lucas felt a stabbing pain in his chest as he thought of how this chess game would never be finished as well as all the other things that he would never get to do with his mother. There was so much that they hadn't had a chance to do, so many times that would never be had. Lucas found himself thinking that fourteen short years was nowhere near long enough to spend with someone so special.

Lucas looked up to see his father walking along the hallway to his bedroom. Taylor had still not said a word to Lucas and he didn't know why. He needed his father now more than ever and Taylor was just ignoring him.

"Dad," Lucas called as his father walked away, his voice barely above a whisper. Taylor paused yet he didn't turn around, almost as if he was debating whether or not to turn around and say something. After a moment he continued walking into his bedroom before shutting the door with a loud click.

Lucas stood there in the lounge, feeling the familiar tears threatening to fall. He couldn't believe that his father was ignoring him now of all times. Lucas needed him now more than ever yet Taylor wasn't there for him. He was locking himself away, leaving Lucas to deal with things on his own. If there was one time in his life that Lucas needed someone, it was now. But as he looked around he saw that there was no one. His father was ignoring him, he wasn't even sure what had happened to Wash and his mother was dead. Lucas was all alone.

He decided that standing out here alone wasn't going to do him any good, there were way too many reminders of his mother and he was only just holding it together as it was. So Lucas made his way back to his bedroom. As he opened the door to his room he was assaulted with the memory of when the Rebels had come to kidnap him. He walked over to his desk, reaching into his pocket for the crumpled up letter that he still carried, remembering how back then it had meant the world to him. It didn't seem nearly as exciting as it had eleven days ago.

Lucas was still going to go to the Phoenix University. It was his dream and he had promised his mother, it had been her dying wish, yet it didn't hold the same appeal that it had a few days ago. He had never dreamed that his mother wouldn't be there to see him off to college and now it was looking likely that his father might not even see him off either. Lucas was lost and confused. He needed time to just stop so that he could get a grasp on the situation. He was struggling to stay afloat and without his father's love and support he knew that he would surely sink.

Knowing that he couldn't just stand in the doorway to his room for the rest of his life, Lucas made his way over to his bed and lay down. He should have been glad for the comfort, a hot meal, a shower and a comfortable bed were all things that he had been dreaming about for over a week now but now that he was here he didn't know what to do with himself. He lay back on the bed, feeling the tears coming as he allowed the events of the past forty-eight hours to catch up with him.

Ayani was there one minute and then she was gone, never to see Lucas again. He just couldn't believe that she wasn't there anymore. He half expected her to walk into the room and tell him that dinner was ready, as if the past eleven days had just been a horrible nightmare. But deep down Lucas knew that wasn't true. The pain was too real; it kept him trapped in this awful reality.

Lucas heard noises coming from the kitchen and got up to investigate. For a moment he let himself think that it was _her_, but as it is with all fantasies, it had to come to an end. Lucas walked into the kitchen to find that Taylor was standing there looking rather out of place. He pushed a microwave dinner across the table to Lucas without a word before walking out of the kitchen. This was clearly Taylor's attempt at being fatherly and looking after his son by feeding him. Lucas longed to stop him, to run over to him and receive some sort of comfort from his father; a hug, a pat on the shoulder, a word, an acknowledgment, anything to let him know that his father was there for him. But Taylor was gone, leaving Lucas alone with his meal.

Lucas was starving, having not had a proper meal for over a week, yet each bite tasted worse than the last. He scoffed the food down, his malnourished body screaming for some nutrition, yet he was much too upset to actually enjoy the food. It all tasted bland and unappealing. He was just going through the motions, forcing himself to eat bite after bite until the plate was empty. As he ate he was reminded of all the meals his mother had made, of all the times he had helped her in the kitchen. He felt a tear roll down his cheek as the memories came flooding back.

He sensed a presence behind him and turned around, sniffing and trying to hold back his tears as he did so. He saw Taylor standing there looking over at him with a cold look. There was little emotion in his stare yet what emotion was there was obvious. Disappointment and regret were evident on his face and they were aimed at Lucas. He knew that his father was disappointed in him, he should have found a way to save his mother, he should have been the one to die instead of her. It was obvious that Taylor agreed by the regret in his eyes. Lucas could see that his father resented him. He hadn't just lost his wife that day, he had lost his unborn daughter to and now he was stuck with his son that shouldn't even be there. It should have been Ayani standing there in the kitchen, not Lucas, that much was obvious from Taylor's face.

Without a word Taylor turned and walked back to his room, leaving Lucas alone once again. Lucas looked around the empty house. It felt a lot bigger than it used to and a lot emptier. He found himself wishing once again that his mother was there. She would have been able to comfort him. She wouldn't have just left him. But she wasn't there and she never would be again.

Lucas stood up, throwing the packaging from his microwave meal into the bin before making his way back to his room. There was no point in staying out here now. He longed to have a shower to wash the mess of eleven day's worth of blood and dirt off him yet he just couldn't find the energy. He collapsed back down on the bed, not caring that he was dirtying the sheets. Nothing mattered anymore.

The realisation that he was never going to see his mother again started to sink in. Unable to hold back his tears anymore, Lucas rolled over to bury his face in his pillow, letting it catch all of his tears. For the first time in his life he felt truly alone and the worst part was he knew that would never change. This was his life now. Ayani was gone and Taylor wasn't there for him anymore. It was just Lucas. This was the beginning of his new life of loneliness.

Lucas lay there crying for what felt like hours until there were no more tears left. He was exhausted and in much need of rest and so he eventually drifted off into a deep sleep, his eyes still wet with tears and his heart still heavy with loss.


	22. Chapter 21

So here we are at day twenty-one. Technically I made it through my challenge of updating every day. I just have the epilogue to write which I will finish this week (hopefully tomorrow. That one doesn't count as one of the daily chapters because I was updating chapter one on the first etc etc). This chapter is another one that was written very early in the morning but I'm sure that you're all used to that now. I don't think I've finished a chapter before midnight since week one. Hopefully this isn't too terrible.

Thank you so much to everyone has reviewed. I feel like I should say something special to end this all but I still have my epilogue to go so I will say something then. I am actually sort of sad to finish this story. I mean I am so glad that I won't have the pressure of a chapter per day and I might actually be able to get some sleep but I will miss it. I have a oneshot following on from this that I will post soon though (once it's written). It's going to be Luckety.

Alright I will be back soon for the epilogue. Enjoy :)

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**Chapter Twenty-One**

**21 August 2138**

Lucas awoke several times during the night. Every time he woke he had a moment a peace before the memories came flooding back to him, assaulting his mind. The first time Lucas awoke and was reminded of his mother's death he didn't know what to do. The tears came streaming down his face. He was lost and he needed comfort. He stood up and made his way through the silent house towards his father's bedroom.

He stood there in front of the door, his hand raised and ready to knock yet there was something holding him back. He needed his father. To tell the truth he needed his mother yet she wasn't there so he was turning to his father. Yet Taylor wasn't there for him. Physically he was there but Lucas knew that he couldn't go knocking on his father's door in the middle of the night looking for comfort.

So Lucas turned away and walked back to his room, knowing that he would have to find some way to get through the night on his own. Lucas lay there in his bed, letting the tears fall, wishing that there could have been some other ending to this. To put it simply, he was lost. He didn't know how he was supposed to keep going. Sure he was still alive and breathing but he had no idea how to keep living. He need held and guidance, yet he was alone. He didn't even know how to continue. He was there because there were no other options. He had to keep going but he had no idea how.

Eventually the night ended and the sun rose. Lucas found that he felt slightly better in the morning although he was still tired and miserable. The worst part was that he knew that wasn't going to change any time soon. He wasn't going to magically wake up happy the next day and have everything suddenly be alright. It was never going to be alright again. That was one thing that he was sure of.

Lucas walked out of his bedroom, hoping that his father would be more approachable today. Lucas found him sitting there in the kitchen with a mug of coffee. Taylor made no move to acknowledge Lucas, leaving him to stand awkwardly in the kitchen for a moment before walking to the fridge for a glass of juice. While Lucas was looking in the fridge, Taylor took his son's moment of distraction as an opportunity to speak.

"The funeral is the afternoon," Taylor spoke in a monotonal voice. Lucas closed the fridge to turn towards his father, hoping that he might pay some sort of attention to him, yet Taylor was looking across the room, deliberately avoiding looking at his son. Lucas wished that he would just look at him. He needed his father.

"Wear something nice," Taylor finished, ending the conversation that was never much of a conversation. There wasn't much conversing that went on, it was all one sided.

As Taylor spoke he allowed his eyes to travel back over to his son in a moment of distraction. As their eyes met Lucas saw the disappointment in his father's eyes. He could see the regret and displeasure. Lucas felt as though Taylor would rather have his wife standing across from him, preparing for his funeral, at least that way Taylor would have had a wife and a daughter. Lucas knew that his father blamed him; it was obvious by the way that he looked at him. He couldn't stand to see Taylor looking at him like that; he had to get out of there.

Lucas managed to hold back the tears until he was safely in his room. Only then did he let them fall. It was all way too overwhelming for him. His father hated him and couldn't even bare to talk to him and then there was the funeral. Lucas should have expected this, it was what happened after someone died, yet it did come as a shock to him. It made everything seem so final. He needed some more time to process everything, he wasn't ready to say goodbye to his mother for good.

Taylor was absent for most of the day and Lucas didn't go searching for him. Though all he wanted was for his father to come and comfort him, he knew that his father didn't want that. He seemed to have a different view on the situation and unlike Lucas, who desperately needed a comforting parent, Taylor seemed to be determined to push Lucas as far away as possible.

The afternoon soon arrived and Lucas was still no closer to coming to terms with the impending funeral. He had found an outfit, a suit that his mother had bought for him to wear to a fancy dinner party about six months ago. It was a little small on him and he had the tie all wrong, he had never quite gotten the hang of it and the last time this suit had been worn his father had tied his tie for him, that wasn't an option now though. Yet Lucas was sure that it would do. He hoped this counted as 'nice' by his father's standards.

He took a deep calming breath, hoping that this would prove to be some sort of solace for him. It didn't, there was only one person alive who could comfort Lucas and he wanted nothing to do with him. Lucas just hoped that his father would come around soon and talk to him, he needed his daddy.

Lucas walked out of his room to find that his father was standing in the lounge with a tense expression on his face. He took in Lucas's appearance without saying a word before walking over to the door. Lucas followed his father outside and along the streets. He walked a few paces behind him, sensing that his father wasn't too happy about his presence.

Lucas was surprised by the fact that they had managed to put together a funeral so quickly, it was almost like they knew that not everyone would be returning from the Rebels. It saddened Lucas to know this, almost like the prisoners had been given up on from day one.

The funeral passed in a bit of a blur for Lucas. It was long and mentally arduous for him. It was for all those who had not survived being kidnapped, not just Ayani, and Lucas was surprised by how many had not survived. Surprisingly he was able to hold it together for the majority of the funeral. He was just numb, being there without really being there. It was only when they began to read the list of names that Lucas couldn't hold it together anymore.

The list seemed to go on for an eternity. Lucas was brought out of his thoughts as he heard the name 'Matt Tate' being announced. He felt a stab of pain in his heart as he remembered the boy that he had barely gotten to know, killed so young. He wondered how Skye was, presumably she was here somewhere but Lucas didn't know where. Suddenly he was brought back to the present as he heard his mother's name being announced.

"Ayani Taylor"

Suddenly it all seemed real. This was it, Lucas was sitting here at his mother's funeral, not a place that he had ever expected to be, especially at such a young age. He shouldn't be here, it was wrong. His mother should have been here, she didn't deserve to die, she never should have been killed. What upset Lucas even more was the way that she was being remembered, just as a name on a list. She was so much more than that. She was his mother, his everything, she had always been there for him and now she was being remembered as one of a hundred or so names on a list. She deserved so much better than this. Lucas couldn't help wondering why Taylor was allowing his wife to be mourned in such an impersonal way.

Silent tears began to fall down Lucas's cheeks as he was struck by unfair this was. He didn't deserve this, Ayani didn't deserve this. He chanced a glance up at his father, knowing that he needed comfort now more than ever, he was willing to do anything for just a sliver of love. But Taylor was not willing to offer such a thing. He was sitting there staring straight ahead, his face void of all emotion. He looked like a robot, cold and harsh. Lucas knew that there was no comfort to be found there, especially not for him.

Eventually the list was finished yet the funeral wasn't over. Songs were sung and words were said. They were supposed to be inspirational words, meant to show those still living that they could carry on, to make the most of every moment, yet Lucas found himself arguing with everything that they said in his head. They didn't know what it was like. They were soldiers, they were used to death and here was Lucas after just having his mother cruelly taken from him, trying to deal with it all. They were talking about life and about the future yet Lucas saw no future for himself. There was this moment and then after that there was nothing, he had no idea how he was supposed to get through this.

After the ceremony had finished Lucas followed his father out of the hall silently. As he stepped out of the building he felt the tears returning. This was it; he was leaving his mother's funeral. This wasn't something that he had planned to do, ever. This shouldn't have even happened. Lucas was still struggling to come to terms with the whole event. The funeral had made things clearer, everything seemed more real yet he couldn't get out of the habit of expecting Ayani to appear around the corner or to be there when he walked into a room. She was gone yet she wasn't gone from his memories. There was nothing that he wanted more than to have her back. He was still expecting her to come back home and tell him that this had all been a horrible dream yet deep down he knew it was real, only reality could hurt this bad.

When they returned home Lucas was expecting his father to retreat to his room, leaving him all alone yet Taylor surprised him by walking into the lounge and turning around to face him. Lucas followed, curious as to why his father was choosing to acknowledge him now.

"I was on the phone with your school today," Taylor announced, his face cold and his tone emotionless. "They still have room for you and you are going to go back there until you start college."

Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing, first his father had ignored him and now he was abandoning him. Lucas didn't want to go back to school. While it wasn't exactly his least favourite place in the world, Somalia now held much more painful memories than some silly school boy teasing, Lucas had no desire to return there. He had finished school, he was done with it, well he would be after graduation. But to go back to live at school until college was ridiculous. Lucas knew that his father was just sending him away so that he could ignore the problem. If he didn't have to look at Lucas every day then he wouldn't have to be disappointed, he wouldn't have to regret the decisions he had made. He would be without Lucas, just as it should have been.

"Your flight leaves tonight," he continued, failing to see the way that Lucas's face had fallen at this announcement.

"Dad," Lucas began, reading to beg. "Please don't send me back there. Don't I have a say in this?"

"It's the best solution to the problem," Taylor argued, speaking as though Lucas himself was the problem. "It works out best for everyone." Lucas failed to see how this situation would be good for everyone. Sure it worked well for Taylor, he wouldn't have to look after his son, he wouldn't have to see him at all. But Lucas couldn't see how this was supposed to benefit him. In this time of death and sorrow he needed to be with his family more than ever. Now Taylor was his only family and he was sending him away.

Lucas knew that he wasn't going to win this argument with his father; he had never done so to this day and probably never would. Without a word he turned to walk towards his bedroom. If he was being sent away then he would have to pack his belongings. As he walked into his room he loosened his tie and took off his jacket before throwing it to the bed. Following this he began to roll up his sleeves, all the while trying to escape from the overwhelming sense of depression that seemed to be trying to engulf him. He walked over to the closet, pulling out his suitcase and beginning to toss his belonging into it. If his father wanted him gone so desperately, then he would oblige. Far be it from him to inconvenience the great Commander Taylor.

As anger began to grow inside him he threw more and more items into the suitcase, becoming more frustrated as time passed. He couldn't believe that his father was doing this to him. He was abandoning him; there was no other way of putting it. Lucas knew that his father didn't want him anymore, perhaps he never did. When it came time to get on that plane he wouldn't kick up a fuss, no matter how much he wanted to stay. If his father didn't want him then Lucas wasn't going to force his presence on him. Taylor had made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with Lucas. It was obvious from the way he looked at him.

Lucas took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger that was combining with sorrow. His father blamed him, that much was obvious. He was disappointed in Lucas and clearly regretted saving him. Apparently his way of dealing with this was to send Lucas away, to eliminate the problem. Lucas was sure that it would work, for his father at least. But for Lucas this was the beginning of his new lonely life, one that his father clearly wanted no part in.


	23. Epilogue

I'm so sorry that this took so long. I planned to have this done about 3 weeks ago and then uni got in the way. It also took me a while to write because I got into a bit of a panic because there are so many things that I wanted to say in this story that I didn't, but then I just accepted that I couldn't say everything and for a 3 week challenge (plus a rather late epilogue) I did actually get a lot done.

You can thank a certain message that I got on facebook for this chapter. It made me think a lot about Lucas as a character and inspired me to get this written.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to all of my readers. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, especially those of you who have reviewed. It's been fun. I should do another challenge like this sometime (I will really regret saying those words when I'm in the middle of said challenge and not getting any sleep). I will be posting that oneshot that follows on from this that is set during TN. I just have to write it first. The good news is that I only have one more assignment to do and then I'm on holidays so I can do lots of writing.

Anyway, I will let you all get on to reading this. Enjoy.

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**Epilogue**

**Late August 2138**

Lucas looked out at the sea of smiling parents and families as he stood on the stage, about to graduate from high school. His father was noticeably absent and his mother even more so. There was a part of Lucas that still hoped that his father would turn up, but then there was a more realistic part of him that knew that it was false hope. His father hadn't spoken to him since that the day he had sent Lucas back to boarding school. At first Lucas had been devastated, he needed his dad and was lost without him, but then he learnt to cope by himself. His father wasn't there for him anymore, he was on his own. Somalia brought about a new Lucas, a Lucas that had learnt to not depend on others, they just let him down. It was a Lucas that was filled with hate and anger, but most of all hurt.

Upon returning to school, Lucas had been rushed off to see the councillor at the school's request. They had daily sessions, a time that Lucas had come to loathe. It was always the same questions: 'Tell me about your friends', 'Have you spoken to your father today?', 'How have you been sleeping?'. They were all indirect questions designed to enquire about his mental state and who he had to lean on. Lucas despised these questions, especially the ones about his father. The answer was always the same; his father wasn't there for him, he had no one and he wasn't insane, that was something that they seemed particularly concerned about. He scoffed at their worry, he wasn't going to go insane, not when he had a very important job to do.

The councillor seemed to believe that Taylor was Lucas's best chance at being able to cope and frequently encouraged Lucas to call him. Lucas had done just that at first. He had phoned his father only to be greeted by the answering machine. He had tried again, he had called every hour for a day, yet Taylor had never answered. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk to his son. In all fairness Taylor had called once, but he hadn't called Lucas, he had called the school. It was a week after Lucas had been sent back to school. Taylor had enquired about how Lucas was. What did he think? How did he expect Lucas to be after being abandoned and losing the most important person in his life? Lucas had lost everything. He was most definitely not alright.

Lucas shut himself off. He would reply if directly asked a question, but he never spoke up voluntarily. He had never been particularly talkative, but now he kept to himself even more. He spent most of his time shut up in his room, only leaving on the odd occasion to procure some food when his tired body couldn't continue. He was like a ghost, there while not actually being there. Physically he was there, but mentally he was still trapped back in Somalia. He couldn't escape from it; he was in a constant state of mental torment.

The nights were the worst. Not even sleep was enough to save him from his suffering. He slept, a little, but every night he would wake and everything would come crashing back to him. Then there were the nightmares, some were bad, filled with memories of his time in Somalia. Then some were good, perhaps they were the worst. They were simple things, memories of a time when they were a family or just times that he spent with his mother, but they weren't that simple. In the morning they were followed by the overwhelming anguish and the realisation that things would never be the same and that he would never see his mother again. They were followed by the realisation that they weren't real and that Lucas's life would never be as good as it was.

He tried to exhaust himself with studying, if he was completely exhausted then surely he could slip into a dreamless sleep, but nothing worked. Even the little things that had once brought so much joy into his life were meaningless now. He had nothing; he had lost one parent and had been abandoned by the other. His life would never be the same. He was lost and alone.

It was obvious that Taylor blamed him. Before he had sent Lucas away, Lucas had seen the regret and disappointment in his eyes. That look constantly haunted him. It wasn't his fault, but Taylor was determined to hold him responsible. Perhaps Lucas did feel a little responsible; he should have found a way to save them both, but he didn't deserve to be ignored and abandoned like this. He needed his dad now more than ever, yet Taylor wasn't there. He knew his father was disappointed in him and he hated it. He just wished that things were like they used to be. But they weren't and they never would be again.

There was only one thing that kept Lucas going. It gave him direction in his otherwise lost and broken life. It was the knowledge that one day his father would pay. He was planning it all. It turned out that there was more to the Phoenix University than he had first thought. They were offering him a chance to make his father pay and he was going to take it. He would get revenge, revenge on his father for not trying harder, for not making there in time, for not saving her, for abandoning him and for that judgemental look that he gave Lucas every time he looked at him.

As Lucas looked out at the sea of faces, he knew that his father wasn't there; he would never be there for him again. As hard as it was to take, Lucas was beginning to accept that this was the way that things were now. Taylor didn't want him anymore and Lucas wasn't going to force his presence on him. He would be going to university soon and he could begin his plan.

Lucas was now filled with an overwhelming anger and hatred towards his father. Taylor was going to pay; he would make sure of it. He had a new purpose in his life, a new reason to keep going. He had one reason to continue with his life and that was to make his father pay. Even if Taylor only felt a fraction of the pain that he had caused his son, it would be worth it.

His father wasn't there, but they would meet again and Lucas would get his revenge. Lucas was certain of this. It was the only thing that got him through the long days and the even longer nights. It was what kept him going and led him through the endless maze of life that Lucas was now lost in. Lucas was lost, but his hatred gave him guidance.

**The End**


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